Part Three – Claim form design good practice

• Introduction
• Monitoring and reviewing your claim forms
  • Design and development of claim forms
  • Paper
  • Colour
  • Colour contrast
  • Text
  • Emphasis
  • Language
  • The passive voice
  • Contractions
  • Foreign abbreviation
  • Use of capital letters
  • Punctuation and grammar
  • Length of sentences
  • Layout
    • Grids
    • Dividing sections
    • Numbering
    • Lines
    • Colour bars
    • Bullets
    • Advice and guidance
    • Notes
• Ethnic languages
• People who are blind or partially sighted
  • Large print.
  • Braille or Moon
  • Audio
  • Interactive CD Rom
  • Tele-claim service
  • Interactive on-line form completion
  • Electronically
• People with speech and hearing difficulties

Introduction

The main purpose of this guide is to offer good practice in the design, development and provision of HB/CTB claim forms.

We have tried to provide guidance that can be applied to all types of HB/CTB claim forms for all types of customers.

We have designed model claim forms which local authorities can use, or adapt as they see fit. You can find them on the DWP website at Claims guidance - model documents

Alternatively, local authorities can design their own forms. Legislation provides that, where a claim is made in writing, it must be made on a form approved by the authority, for the purpose of claiming HB/CTB.

You can provide short forms or forms for different purposes and key groups. For example, we have developed three new forms for use by prisoners.  Guidance on short forms can be found in the Housing Benefit Guidance Manual (Housing Benefit Guidance Manual - short forms).

Some authorities have introduced joint or combined claim forms, for example allowing customers to apply for HB/CTB and Free School Meals on one form. This is particularly useful where a common financial assessment is required, such as the fairer charging assessment used to decide whether charges should be levied for social care services. Joint or combined forms are acceptable providing the customer is able to clearly indicate on the form which benefits or service they want to apply for, and are only asked for information that is necessary to assess their particular claim(s).

Claim forms have traditionally been very long and complex and this can discourage customers from applying. Where possible, forms should be kept as short as possible and only essential questions asked that are relevant to the majority of customers. Questions that are likely to apply only to a very small number of people might better be asked in a supplementary form.

Providing a well-designed claim form that encourages customers to provide all the information needed for their claim to be processed reduces the need to ask for further information and speeds up claims processing. Providing claim forms in a variety of formats improves accessibility and, in turn, take-up.

We hope that local authorities will find this guidance useful. If you have any comments or ideas to improve the guidance please email them to Performance-Framework@dwp.gsi.gov

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Monitoring and reviewing your claim forms

Review your customer claiming process and your claim form periodically, consulting with key stakeholders, including customers, to see what can be improved.

Monitor the reasons for incorrectly completed forms and consider re-designing your claim forms if necessary.

Monitor why you have to ask for further information from customers and identify ways of improving the initial supply of information to reduce such requests.

Design and development of claim forms

All the good practice is supported by the Royal National Institute for the Blind’s (RNIB) ‘Clear Print’. These are print design guidelines for all types of documents.  They have been specially created to enable information to be accessible by more people.

Paper

Use paper that doesn’t allow ‘show through’. ‘Show through’ is when you can see what is printed on the back of the page you are looking at.

Avoid using coloured paper as it changes the appearance of any colours used on the form to distinguish information.

Use matt paper as it tones down colours. Gloss paper makes bright colours brighter and can create reflections that make it difficult to read the text.

Colour

Using colour can make your form easier to read. Many local authorities have a corporate style that sets the colour of all external products. However, it is important to consider a number of factors when developing forms in different formats. For example, colours look different under artificial light, computer screens and final laser printer versions.

• Ensure the contrast between text and background is as high as possible.
• Consider colours carefully if you intend to photocopy, fax or scan the form, ensuring your systems can be adjusted to pick up the necessary parts of the form, including handwriting.
• Make sure the downloadable version prints well in black and white. Many people can only print out material in black and white.
• Consider costs. The more colour you use the more expensive the form will be to print.
• Use different shades of the same colour. This is more cost effective than having many different colours.
• Use a light tinted background as it causes less glare than plain white. It also helps white answer boxes to stand out, especially if those white boxes have a dark frame.
• Test colours in their final version, ensuring the level of contrast is as you originally intended.

Colour contrast

Using contrasting colours can improve legibility.

Text

We realise that many local authorities have corporate typefaces (fonts) but in general we recommend using a simple and clear font.

• Avoid using stylised text.
• Use fonts such as Arial or Verdana (sans serif fonts) as they look modern and are easier to read.
• Use a maximum of two fonts on any one form. More than two can confuse people and make the form difficult to read.
• Use fonts consistently ­– for example, use one font for headings and another for regular text.     
• Document text types should be 12-14 point, preferably 14 point. Type is measured in points. A point is 1/72 of an inch. Remember typefaces can look bigger or smaller even though they are the same size.

Emphasis

Emphasising key words, phrases or sentences can help customers understand what they have to do. To make words stand out they have to contrast with the surrounding type.

• Bold key words, phrases or sentences.
• Use italic to highlight words used in a special way. Once that word has been defined use it without italic.
• Do not use BLOCK CAPITALS or underlining to emphasise text. Both these techniques make text very difficult to read.
• Do not overuse emphasis as it loses its effect. For example, if a whole paragraph is in bold, it is difficult to decide which words are most important.

Language

It is important to use language that is easy to read and understand. Using plain English is essential to communicate clearly.

• Use an organisation that can help you produce forms in plain English. For example, the Plain English Campaign and the Plain English Commission can endorse forms they consider to be clearly written and designed. They can also provide training for people involved in communicating with the public. Please note – you will have to pay for these services.
• Use simple words, not complicated words. For example, use ‘proof’ instead of ‘evidence’, ‘pay’ instead of ‘award’ and ‘get’ instead of ‘receive’.

The passive voice

Avoid using passive phrases such as:

• "A form has been sent to you"
• "Your benefit will be calculated"
• "A cheque was sent".

All these phrases leave out information about who is responsible for the action. You should say:

• "We have sent you a form"
• "We will calculate your benefits"
• "We have sent you a cheque".

The passive voice is not as immediate and simple as the active voice and can confuse people who are not used to hearing it.

Contractions

Avoid difficult contractions such as haven’t, couldn’t, shouldn’t or shan’t. Although these are common in speech, poor readers can find them difficult to read and understanding clearly.

Foreign abbreviation

Avoid foreign abbreviations such as i.e., e.g., etc., as customers may not know what they mean. There are plain English alternatives, such as ‘for example’ and ‘things like these’.

Use of capital letters

Capital letters make readers hesitate, especially if they appear unexpectedly, slowing down reading and reducing comprehension.

• Only use capital letters for proper nouns and the start of sentences and headings, such as Housing Benefit and Pension Credit.
• Do not use capital letters unnecessarily, such as those at the start of benefit, council, local authority, landlord, student or registered blind.

Punctuation and grammar

Keep punctuation simple and accurate.

Ensure the form is grammatically correct. Proper use of grammar makes the form and its questions easier to understand.

Length of sentences

Some customers find long sentences confusing.

• Try to keep sentences to a maximum of between 15 and 20 words. However, vary the length of sentences to avoid sounding hesitant or abrupt.
• Aim for a single idea in each sentence.

Layout

A consistent layout helps people read the form more quickly as they will know where to look for the next relevant part. It will help the person filling out the form know what the different elements are, even if this isn’t clear from the text.

Grids

Use an invisible underlying grid pattern of vertical columns to make sure that the different elements of the form (such as questions, answer boxes, headings and explanatory text) all appear in the right place on the page.

Once a grid is set up, try to keep to it as much as possible. It doesn’t matter if text slightly overruns the borders of a column as long as it doesn’t stray too far into other areas of the grid.

Dividing sections

Make the form easier to use by separating out different sections.

• Leave more space between the last question of a section and the following heading than between questions in a section.
• Divide each section by using a line across the whole page.
• Try to start new sections on a new page.
• Show a complete break from a previous section by running a new section header across the whole page.

Numbering

By numbering each section you can direct people through the form with instructions like “Now go to part 5”.

Numbering questions lets you refer in notes to specific questions, but can also be confusing. For example, referring to “... question 6 in Part 5 on page 8” is precise but overpowering with detail.

• Avoid numbering each question as lots of questions have supplementary questions and it can be confusing for customers.
• Number each page and each section for easy referral, for example “Now go to Part 3 on Page 6” or “at the bottom of page 6”.
• Do not use roman numerals as many people do not understand them.

Lines

Divide each section by using lines drawn across the page.

Colour bars

Use a light type on a dark background to give a clear visual marker of new sections.

Bullets

Use bullet points for lists.

Advice and guidance

Providing clear guidance and advice for customers can help to clarify:

• what their responsibilities are
• what proof they must supply to support their claim
• where they can get individual help.

Notes

Many local authorities will have notes and statements relating to their local communities.

There are two main reasons for providing notes:

1. to help the customer fill in the form and provide the right information
2. to give the customer important information about the benefit.

• Put notes where the customer needs them.
• If the notes are meant to help the customer fill in the form put them with the question they refer to.
• If the notes are useful information that the customer might need after they have sent the form back, such as benefit service telephone numbers and opening hours, make sure they are separate from the form.
• Insert a fact sheet with each paper claim form to advise customers how to fill in the form and what information to provide.

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Ethnic languages

Consider the special needs of ethnic minorities in your community.

• Include statements explaining where people can get help in their own language if they need it. Help could include translation services provided by local community organisations.
• There is no need to label ethnic minority languages in English. It should read along the lines of ‘If English is not your first language and you need help filling in the form we may be able to help you. Please contact…’.  You can then list the languages in their original script without labelling them in English.
• If it is cost effective, provide the claim form in a range of appropriate languages and help customers complete the form.
• Provide advice about special provisions on the front page of the form or accompanying notes if possible.

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People who are blind or partially sighted

Only about 4% of blind people see nothing at all. Most have some vision or light awareness, although this can be extremely restricted. Many different conditions come under the umbrella of blindness or partial sight so it is impossible to suggest a single solution. However, there are a number of possible methods that you can use to help people with sight problems.

If you can make alternative arrangements for people who are blind or partially sighted you should make this clear on the first page of the form.

Large print. 

The term ‘large print’ normally means type over 16 point but not normally more than 23 point.

Braille or Moon

Producing documents in Braille or Moon is a specialist service. Some libraries or community centres provide Braille writers. You can also contact local blind or partially sighted support centres or RNIB for help and advice.

Audio

It is easy to provide claim form questions on an audio tape or cd. Most users will give their answers to someone filling in the form for them, but some users will be able to write their answers down themselves.

It is not usually possible to skip through audio tapes like you can skip sections of a form that don’t apply, so people may find the process frustrating and long-winded. A cd is easier to navigate but both need a good description of the contents.

Provide a number reference for each question to help match up the answers.

Interactive CD Rom

This is a new way of providing forms and is not commonly used. The CD has an audio track that asks the questions and voice-activated software that records spoken answers.

Tele-claim service

This is where a local authority interviews the customer by telephone and populates a claim form or statement from the interview which is then returned to the customer for checking and signature.

Interactive on-line form completion

Many blind or partially sighted people have adapted computers so they can see and fill in forms on line. Even if they have severe sight restrictions, screen reader software can mean they can answer questions on line if the form is properly set up.

Electronically

Where your authority is set up to accept electronic communications you can receive claim forms in this way. There are software packages that allow people who are blind or partially sighted to read communications online and respond in the same way.

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People with speech and hearing difficulties

Provide text-phone or type-phone facilities and services.

See the Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID) website at www.rnid.org.uk for more information on these types of services, which are supported by the UK telephone industry and available through most UK telephone networks.

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