enormous amount of effort would be required to bring together such a large number of disparate benefits.


A multiplicity of benefits In all, 14 separate benefits have been incorporated into income support. These benefits were previously administered by three separate States departments and the 12 island parishes. Each benefit had its own set of rules


and had developed in a piecemeal fashion in response to different social pressures on the island at different times. While each scheme could be justified in its own right, the multiplicity of benefits that evolved became confusing and cumbersome. In the past, some confusion also existed


among some sections of the public with regard to the processes by which benefits were claimed. Difficulties were reported in identifying


the correct department or parish to approach in respect of a particular need. This led to a correspondingly high level of duplication in terms of administrative effort - separate departments could be recording and analysing the same information to pay separate benefits to the same family. As an example, a single mother with a


child would have needed to visit three separate departments in order to collect sufficient income to maintain her family. The parish welfare system provided support for the mother, the Housing Department assisted with the cost of rental accommodation and the Social Security Department provided help towards the upkeep of the child. The mother was required to complete three separate application forms, on each occasion providing detailed evidence of her income and personal circumstances and then receiving three separate payments. In itself this was administratively cumbersome for all concerned. It was also somewhat outdated for


someone to have to present themselves at a number of different locations to ask for help and for their claim to be decided by someone who had a high level of discretion and few rules to follow. In fact, the process probably discouraged some individuals, who were entitled to help, from seeking it.


More effective targeting of benefits The prospect of reform was also helped by concerns expressed over the generosity of


some benefits under the old system. There were also worries that assistance was not being directed to those who were most in need. In particular, the rental subsidy scheme was seen to be a drain on public resources (costing approximately £25 million in 2006), as possibly creating some distortion in the local housing market and being paid to some individuals whose income meant they really did not need assistance. Another benefit, the Disabled Transport


Allowance, was originally designed to assist people of working age with disabilities to cover their transport costs. However, over time, it had been extended to cover almost all local residents with mobility problems. Again, this benefit was felt by many to be badly targeted, to fail to take into account income levels and to be expensive. There was also a need to bring some


consistency to the eligibility criteria that applied to those seeking benefits. Under the previous arrangements,


eligibility criteria varied widely. The residency conditions for different benefits varied - from no residency requirement at all, to three months, six months, five years or, in some cases, up to 12 years. Some benefits could still be received if a claimant had £50,000 worth of savings, whereas other benefits were reduced once an individual had more than £7,000 in the bank.


Moving forward Following the publication of the 2004 report and consultation with local stakeholders and politicians, firm proposals were put before the States Assembly in June 2005. These proposals were supported and funding was provided for the development of the new income support scheme. This included addressing administrative issues and introducing bespoke information technology to process claims. The Social Security Department had


upgraded its computer systems at the beginning of 2005 and this provided a firm foundation for the additional work required. Work on the IT systems and a new legislative framework began in parallel in the autumn of 2005. The legal framework for income support was drafted from first principles, specifically designed to meet the needs of the Jersey population. The Income Support law is a simple,


straightforward piece of legislation which puts in place a very clear framework of a household unit, a set of needs and a way of calculating means that takes into account both income and capital assets. The benefit


24 The Parliamentarian 2008/Issue One - Jersey


provides financial support towards the costs of housing, living, medical needs and childcare. The simplicity of the framework lends itself to future adaptations as the needs of society change over time. The income support law is based on the


notion of a social contract between individual and state. To qualify for benefit, at least one adult within the household must have been resident in Jersey for five years. Jersey is a small island with a very pleasant and prosperous lifestyle. It could become vulnerable to "benefit tourism" if individuals could arrive in the island and claim benefits after little or no time spent here. While not a member of the European


Union, Jersey imposes no immigration controls in respect of any citizen of European Union countries. There is a consensus that those living in the island for at least five years will have contributed to the economy in a variety of ways and are therefore entitled to receive benefits if they find themselves in need of support.


Need to be seeking paid work To be eligible for benefit, the individual has to make every effort to seek paid work. Although this is a central tenet of the income support law, there are in fact many exceptions to the requirements and individuals over 65 and those looking after children under five years of age are completely exempt from any requirement to seek work. For others, a medical condition or caring


responsibilities means that they either do not have to work at all or only work a limited number of hours a week. If an individual is not working, they have to be registered as a jobseeker in order to receive income support benefit. The income support scheme


incorporates jobseeking reviews for individuals that need help to find employment. The ultimate sanction within the income support scheme is that an individual who fails consistently to adhere to a jobseeking routine over a period in excess of eight weeks can lose entitlement to personal benefits. The income support scheme provides a


transparent and fair means of providing a weekly benefit to individuals and families who have insufficient income to meet their basic needs. Alongside the weekly benefit, a system of special payments has been introduced to ensure that one-off costs can be met by households on limited incomes, provided that there is an urgent need and no


Reforming Social Benefits


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