Streamlining Welsh Benefits Steering Group meeting: 22 October 2025

Steering Group members

• Fran Targett, Chair
• Victoria Lloyd, Age Cymru
• Nigel Griffiths, Bridgend County Borough Council
• Simon Hatch, Citizens Advice Cymru
• Claire Flint, Flintshire County Council
• Matthew Evans, SRO Group Chair
• Katie Till, The Trussell Trust
• Claire Germain, Welsh Government

Also in attendance

• Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip
• Adam Hardy, CDPS
• James Graham, CDPS
• Jo Goodwin, CDPS
• Lauren Grech, CDPS
• Leah Whitty, Welsh Government
• Ben Gibbs, Welsh Government
• Glyn Jones, Welsh Government
• Launa Anderson, Welsh Government
• Nerys Owens, Welsh Government 
• David Willis, Welsh Government
• Mel James, Welsh Government
• Paul Neave, Welsh Government
• Joanna Leek, Welsh Government
• Danny Owen, Welsh Government
• Alex Perry, Welsh Government
• Claire Griffiths, Welsh Government
• Lisa Hayward, Welsh Local Government Association
• Aled Evans, Welsh Local Government Association
• Michelle Schutte, Welsh Local Government Association

Apologies

Steffan Evans (Bevan), Amanda Main (Caerphilly), Harriet Green (CDPS), Sean O’Neill (Children in Wales), Sarah Price (Merthyr), Rhian Davies (Disability Wales), Miranda Evans (Disability Wales), Helal Uddin (EYST), Rachel Thomas (Childrens Commissioner), Rachel Bowen (Older People’s Commissioner), Emma Willis (WLGA), Lindsay Phillips (WLGA).

The chair formally welcomed everyone, and acknowledged the hard work carried out since July, especially on the programme of work. Appreciation was given for the progress made. 

The Chair noted this was Leah’s last meeting in her current role, thanked her for her support, and congratulated her on her new position. 

The Chair provided an update, stating a progress letter was sent to the Cabinet Secretary in July, expressing concern about the rate of progress and requesting clarification on issues raised, especially those raised by the SRO Group in the last meeting. 

This resulted in a meeting with the Cabinet Secretary and Councillor Hunt where the following actions were agreed: 

• Joint communication from the Chair and Councillor Hunt to local authorities (in progress).
• An update report to be presented at the next Partnership Council (date not yet set, possibly early next year).
• The Cabinet Secretary agreed to discuss key issues with other Cabinet colleagues, including education and housing, to address cross-departmental concerns. 

Action Point 1: Joint communication to local authorities to be sent by the Chair and Councillor Hunt (Chair and WLGA).

Action point 2: An update report to be prepared for the next Partnership Council (Core Team).

The Cabinet Secretary opened by thanking the group for their work and emphasised the importance of maximising incomes for people in Wales and ensuring access to entitlements, referencing the Welsh Benefits Charter and the government’s focus on tackling poverty.

A financial investment of £1.35 million, including grants to the Welsh Local Government Association and local authorities, aimed at supporting additional capacity and capability for Phase One of the project was highlighted by the Cabinet Secretary.

Concerns raised by local authorities, specifically regarding free school meals legislation, eligibility thresholds, and the frequency of eligibility checks were acknowledged, and the Cabinet Secretary confirmed these issues were discussed with Councillor Hunt and the Steering Group Chair.  She has since met with the Cabinet Secretary for Education to raise these points.

The importance of not losing sight of the vision that people should only have to tell their story once when applying for benefits was stressed although the Cabinet Secretary does recognise concerns about the financial implications of increased benefit take-up. These concerns are being raised with Cabinet colleagues, including the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language. She also noted the SRO group work to quantify the financial costs of increased take up.

The Cabinet Secretary invited feedback and suggestions from members, especially regarding how she and Councillor Hunt could help maintain focus on the work and expressed urgency to achieve progress by the end of the current Senedd term.

Thanks were given to local authorities participating in specific elements of the benefits streamlining work, such as the data analysis pilot and the Pathfinder project, with anticipation for updates on these initiatives.

The Cabinet Secretary will continue discussions with relevant Cabinet colleagues (education, finance, housing) regarding issues raised, including free school meals for secondary pupils’ thresholds and financial implications of increased take-up.

Action point 3: Quantify the level of pressure that increased benefit take-up could create in financial terms (SRO Group)

The Cabinet Secretary and the Chair were thanked for their recent meeting and follow-up work with Cabinet colleagues. Reassurance was expressed from the local government perspective that concerns about administration and finance have been acknowledged and escalated. It was noted that these conversations do not detract from the goal of improving access to Welsh benefits and thanks was given to the Cabinet secretary for addressing local authority concerns.

The project manager introduced the streamlining Welsh benefits project, outlining the challenge that residents face with the current system: multiple, lengthy, and repetitive applications (some with up to 178 questions and the average being 141 depending on which Council you are applying to), which are not accessible and add strain during difficult periods. The marginalised research was outlined which included some emotive user quotes which highlighted the need for a "tell us once" approach, easier eligibility discovery, and a modern, accessible process. Disparity across Wales (postcode lottery) was also noted.  Members were thanked for their support, and the user research report was shared: Marginalised groups research report. 

The vision is for everyone in Wales to access their entitled support quickly and simply, and the project team believes they have a viable way forward. 

The service designer described the evolution of the prototype: initial concepts for a radically simplified single application form were tested but found lacking due to missing data in the DWP Searchlight system (e.g., for council tax reduction). The team then revised the form based on further investigation into local authority needs and available data. 

A demonstration was given using a persona (a single parent on Universal Credit with a non-dependent), showing that current forms can require anything from 71 to 178 questions (using sampled LA forms), while the new prototype reduces this to 24 easy questions by leveraging Searchlight data and improved routing. The form also proposes an approach to cross-border school applications by asking for explicit consent to share information between local authorities. 

The prototype was further demonstrated for a simpler case (asylum seeker applying for free school meals and school essentials grant), showing the form remains simple for more straightforward cases. 

The project manager summarised the new form reduces duplication, clarifies eligibility upfront, and aligns with the Welsh Service standard. The next steps are to test the logic with local authorities in a sandbox environment, ensuring it fits with back-office processes and does not add administrative burden. This phase will run until March, aiming for a fully tested product. 

The Chair asked if the use of Searchlight data in the prototype differs from current local authority practice. The service designer explained that while many local authorities use Searchlight for verification, the new approach would involve pulling data from Searchlight into claims, representing a change in process. 

A member raised the need to ensure all local authorities use the UC data share for Council Tax Reduction Scheme applications, as most local authorities apart from two are already doing so. These negate the need for an application form at all. The importance of verifying National Insurance numbers for housing benefit claims was raised and a suggestion the form should allow uploading additional evidence. The Chair and others agreed on the importance of not making the process harder for some claimants. 

Another member asked about readiness for testing and emphasised the need for close collaboration with local authorities to ensure the design works for them, not just users. 

Additional points were raised about using existing DWP data for quick wins, the need for local governance approval for data sharing, and the importance of considering complex housing benefit cases and regulatory requirements. 

Action point 4: Continue to test the prototype logic with local authorities with consideration of integration with back-office processes and administrative impact (CDPS).

Action point 5: Meet with Audit Wales to clarify requirements for evidence and avoid audit issues (Core Team).

Workforce survey and end to end process mapping

The update began with a summary of the grant funding received, which enabled recruitment of four staff for the digital team. The project’s aims and objectives were clarified, focusing on four key elements: end-to-end process mapping, experience mapping (citizens and workforce pain points), a skills audit (including succession planning), and improving cross-organisational knowledge sharing. The importance of learning from existing good practice and collaboration was emphasised. 

The workforce survey was described in detail. Its purpose was to understand local authority staff experiences and pain points when handling claims for the three Welsh benefits. The survey consisted of three online forms (one per benefit), with open-ended questions to capture unexpected insights. All 22 local authorities participated, yielding 138 responses and over 1,200 data points. The analysis involved tagging responses by benefit, question, and local authority, and following up with respondents for clarification. About half of respondents provided contact details, enabling further engagement for process mapping and deeper research. 

Action point 6: Complete the report and share with Steering Group members (WLGA/Core Team).

A question was asked about when the report would be available.  First draft will be ready by 24 October, with publication expected after internal and external reviews, aiming for some time in November. 

Another question requested early insights or key themes from the survey. The response was that it was preferable to wait for the full report to ensure accuracy, but it was confirmed that areas of good practice and improvement had been identified. 

There was a question about whether the findings would cover pain points around data sharing, and whether these were cultural, technical, or legislative. The answer was that data sharing and access were prevalent themes, with barriers identified in all three areas. 

The SRO chair thanked the project team for their work on the survey and process mapping, noting that progress is steady but not as fast as desired. It was highlighted that local authorities are in different places, making it difficult to draw firm conclusions or implement a one-size-fits-all solution. The survey will help identify these differences. 

The next steps include targeted process mapping to maximise benefit and understand varied practices. 

The discussion addressed the complexity of Welsh benefits versus national benefits, such as Universal Credit. It was noted that current Council Tax Reduction Scheme (CTRS) regulations create challenges due to hard income caps and monthly data feeds, which require frequent reassessment. There is ongoing work with government finance colleagues to review and potentially synchronise regulations, but this is a long-term effort and not a quick fix. 

The trade-off between automation and discretion was discussed: automation streamlines processes but limits the ability to apply discretion, which is sometimes needed for complex cases. 

The update concluded with a reminder that regulatory changes may help in the future, but the group must work within current constraints for now. 

A question was asked about when process mapping results would be available to the Steering Group. The answer was that this will take longer than the survey report, as it involves detailed work with all 22 local authorities and is expected in the new year. 

Another question raised concerns about meeting the April deadline for project goals. The response was that while the team may not meet all deadlines, they will have evidence to justify their approach and any delays, and improvements should still be visible by April. 

Action point 7: Continue process mapping with selected local authorities, focusing on those without existing maps (WLGA).

Action point 8: Feed into ongoing government work reviewing Council Tax Reduction Scheme regulations (SRO Group).

Highlight report

The update noted increased yellow status in the progress report, reflecting that some outputs are behind schedule, but efforts are ongoing to catch up. Delays are attributed to emerging issues, such as regulatory complexities and the need for more evidence from local government and DWP. 

Key achievements included completion of user research, progress on the CDPS work, and internal accessibility audit. The theory of change work was delayed due to staffing changes but is now back on track. 

A significant achievement was a meeting with local authority data protection officers, discussing data sharing issues, particularly around the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and its interpretation. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) attended and gave positive feedback. Next steps include a follow-up meeting with the ICO and development of a data reuse form for local authorities.

For the next quarter, priorities are progressing reports, continuing CDPS testing with local authorities, and moving towards a build phase if a local authority is available and has capacity. There is recognition that Q3 work needs more detailed planning. 

A question addressed local authority capacity, especially around annual billing and legislative changes in early months of the year. The answer confirmed awareness of these constraints and the need to schedule CDPS work with local authorities before Christmas or allow for breaks if capacity drops. 

Action point 9: Complete the theory of change work and internal accessibility audit (Core Team).

Action point 10: Follow up with the Information Commissioner’s Office regarding data sharing (Core Team).

Action point 11: Develop and share a data reuse form template for local authorities (SRO Group).

Action point 12: Progress CDPS testing and move towards build phase with available local authorities (CDPS).

Action point 13: Plan Q3 work in more detail, considering local authority capacity constraints (Core Team).

Risk register

The update stated there were no major changes to the risk register, except for the addition of a new risk related to the Pathfinder project. This risk is being managed by working flexibly with local authorities according to their capacity, and by ensuring testing can be staggered rather than simultaneous. The main concern is that if testing is delayed, any late-identified issue could cause complications and further delays, but this is being monitored. 

Collaboration and buy-in risks were discussed, with ongoing efforts to address these through communications from the Chair, Councillor Hunt, and the Cabinet Secretary to encourage more engagement.

A question was raised about whether the risk around delivery of the route map (risk 13) should be escalated, given concerns about time remaining and capacity. The answer was that this suggestion made sense and would be considered.

Action Point 14: Review and potentially escalate the risk related to delivery of the route map, reflecting concerns about time and capacity (Core Team).

A member suggested there are effectively two deadlines: getting all 22 local authorities using the data share (which is a key milestone), and the School Essentials Grant, which is mainly relevant around June/July, providing some flexibility in timelines. 

The minutes were reviewed for accuracy (15/07/2025). Action point 5 Explore the legal gateway for using Universal Credit Data Share (UCDS) for FSM and SEG, including working with LAs interested in proof of concept to be amended from CDPS to SRO Chair and Core Team. The rest of the minutes were agreed.

It was agreed the next meeting would likely be scheduled for January, with the Core Team responsible for sending out invitations. Members were encouraged to maintain communication between meetings.

Action Point 15: Propose date of next meeting and issue diary marker (Core Team).