How are Alternative Offices implemented?
An Alternative Office can operate either as a stand-alone arrangement, or as part of a Joint Team working collaboratively with The Pension Service Local Service. For the time being, local authority Alternative Offices will be authorised in those areas where there is a commitment by the local authority to developing a Joint Team with The Pension Service Local Service, whereas those in the voluntary sector are more likely to be operating as a stand-alone arrangement.
The Alternative Office facility is not automatic, but can only operate where the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (acting through The Pension Service Local Service) designates a voluntary organisation outlet, or enters into an arrangement with a relevant local authority (or a contractor administering Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit on behalf of the local authority). To ensure a manageable impact on the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) processing centres, the roll-out strategy is designed to implement the facility on a gradual basis.
It is DWP policy to extend the Alternative Office facility only to recognised voluntary organisations that already hold the Community Legal Service Partnership Quality Mark for advice and information services.
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and the local authority may also agree to authorise jointly a voluntary organisation outlet as an Alternative Office for the receipt and verification of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit claims.
The authority to operate as an Alternative Office is conferred by a formal Designation Agreement in the case of a voluntary organisation, or by a Memorandum of Understanding in the case of a local authority or its agent. The Alternative Office partner agrees to nominate named individuals known as ‘nominated agents’, who are trained and authorised to receive and verify the claims. These agents receive the benefit claims and applications, collect the factual information and verify any supporting evidence before forwarding them on to DWP for entitlement to be assessed. The agent is not involved in the decision-making process at any stage.
Although a nominated agent performs this administrative function on behalf of DWP, this does not in any way preclude them from continuing to deliver their organisation’s traditional core services, for example welfare and benefits advice, and advocacy. However, for transparency and clarity of function, DWP recommend that a nominated agent should not act as the customer’s representative on appeal if they received and/or verified that particular claim or application on behalf of DWP.
Where an Alternative Office is not part of a Joint Team, each partner appoints a local co-ordinator so that any issues can be dealt with quickly, and in a locally appropriate way.
Operational guidance and a training programme that can be tailored to individual needs have been developed to support Alternative Office partners and their nominated agents.
This information has been produced by the Department for Work and Pensions in collaboration with the Local Government Association and other government departments (August 2004).