Universal Credit: 100,000 views on the red button, smartphone apps and Facebook
29 May 2014 03:10 PM
Interactive TV,
smartphone apps and social media has been used to view over 100,000 pages of
Universal Credit information.
People have used interactive TV,
smartphone apps and social media to access Universal Credit (UC) information
and viewed more than 100,000 pages of content, as the new benefit continues to
roll out.
Widening access to Universal
Credit content across a range of digital devices is proving popular with
claimants and helping to boost digital skills, with around 15,000 hits a month
since it launched in October 2013 according to digital content provider Looking
Local.
A range of digital information
channels have been designed by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), in
partnership with Looking Local, to give millions of people who do not have
internet access in their homes the support to find important information about
the new benefit, as well as reminding people of their increased
responsibilities to look for work.
People can now search for jobs
while they’re on the move by using Universal Jobmatch on their
smartphones, as part of the government’s long-term economic plan to help
people move off benefits and into work.
Minister for Welfare Reform,
Lord Freud, said:
Universal Credit is
revolutionising the benefit system by making it simple and flexible and helping
to make work pay as part of the government’s long-term economic
plan.
Already we know that over 90% of
claims to Universal Credit are made online in our pathfinder areas and it is
essential that we give the public as much choice as possible over how they find
out information about the new benefit.
We have created a benefit
that’s fit for the 21st century. It is great to see people are already
accessing Universal Credit information when they are on the move, using their
smartphones, or at home on their TVs and games consoles.
Sky and Virgin customers who
have interactive TV can simply scroll through the menu to the relevant page to
view a raft of information, including checking their eligibility for Universal
Credit and learning how they can make a claim.
Universal Credit information is
also available on Facebook as well as on more than 50 smartphone apps across
the local government and housing sectors and the national ‘My
Council’ app.
In a groundbreaking development,
Looking Local has also designed the only public sector service interface for a
games console, which Wii users can now use to view the
details.
Popular pages include the
Universal Credit eligibility checker, along with information about the claimant
journey and what people need to do to prepare for Universal
Credit.
In addition to the 100,000 hits
on Universal Credit content, Looking Local’s channels and apps have
enabled over 360,000 job searches with Universal Jobmatch so far this year and
give direct access to a range of budgeting, financial and consumer advice from
the Money Advice Service.
With Universal Credit expanding
to more Jobcentres in the North West and to couples from this summer, claimants
will further benefit from the choice of digital access to this key
information.
More
information
UC is a vital welfare
reform that merges 6 benefits into 1. It will ensure we have a welfare system
that means people are always better off in work than on benefits and we are a
country that truly backs those who work hard and want to get
on.
It is the most radical redesign
of the benefits system this country has ever seen, replacing the current
costly, outdated process with a digital system that will be simpler to use and
make work pay.
Looking Local is owned by
Kirklees Council. It has delivered public sector content across digital
channels for more than 10 years. It enables public sector organisations to
deliver their services on these additional channels without the financial or
resource overheads.
In addition to the Universal
Credit content, Looking Local works with Universal Jobmatch and The Money
Advice Service and is able to link the three services
together.
According to the ONS Internet Access Quarterly Update for Quarter 1
2014, over 6 million adults had never used the internet.
Read more about Looking
Local
To access information on
Universal Credit using the new range of measures:
- download the smartphone app from
the App Stores by searching for “My Council”
- on Sky go to channel 539 and
press the red button
- on Virgin go to Channel 233 and
press the red button, or on the remote control chose Home, Interactive, Sports,
News and Info, Looking Local
- on a mobile, internet enabled
games console see –www.lookinglocal.gov.uk
- on Facebook then
select ‘Local Services’ in the tool bar
Read latest figures showing
the number of UC claimants to February 2014
Media enquiries for this press
release – 0203 267 5109
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