Case Study - Mid Sussex District Council ‘last mile’ welfare support model
Background and Context
Since April 2024, Mid Sussex District Council (MSDC) has partnered with Welfare Together to deliver a proactive, intelligence‑led early intervention service that removes barriers, increases access to support, and improves outcomes for residents who are vulnerable, marginalised or at risk of exclusion. This ‘last mile’ welfare support model ensures that people who struggle to navigate complex systems receive personalised, compassionate help at the earliest point of need.
Challenges and Objectives
Welfare Together provides a specialist welfare support and financial investigation service embedded within MSDC’s revenues and recovery operations. The service is designed to identify vulnerability early, reduce inequalities in access to statutory support, and ensure that no resident is disadvantaged by digital exclusion, health conditions, literacy barriers, or personal circumstances.
The team works across council tax, housing, enforcement, and wider public sector partners, ensuring a whole‑system approach to social inclusion. Hundreds of residents are supported each year, with structured reporting lines into MSDC’s Revenues and Benefits leadership team. Monthly dashboards track financial outcomes, case progression, vulnerability indicators, and safeguarding themes, ensuring transparency and continuous improvement.
The service extends far beyond traditional revenues work. Welfare Together collaborates with:
- Local social prescribers attached to GP surgeries, enabling warm referrals for residents with health, mental health or crisis‑related vulnerabilities.
- Foodbanks and community organisations, where leaflets and referral pathways ensure residents can self‑refer at the earliest point of difficulty.
- Housing associations and enforcement partners, ensuring vulnerability is identified consistently across tenures and debt types.
- Internal MSDC teams, including housing, homelessness prevention, and customer services, creating a unified, inclusive approach to resident support.
MSDC was the first local authority in the UK to introduce a self‑referral toggle within reminder text messages and emails, an innovation developed jointly with Welfare Together. This simple but powerful tool has significantly increased early engagement, reduced avoidance, and ensured residents feel able to ask for help without stigma.
Results and Successes
The impact has been significant: more than £225,000 in confirmed benefits, exemptions and discounts has been secured for residents who were either unaware of their entitlements or unable to complete claims alone. Alongside this, more than £500,000 in arrears has been collected through positive engagement and tailored support rather than enforcement escalation, demonstrating that inclusive practice can improve both resident wellbeing and financial stability.
Key outcomes include:
- 108 residents awarded Council Tax Reduction Scheme (CTRS) support totalling £110,000.
These residents were either unaware of their eligibility or unable to complete the application without help. Early identification prevents hardship and ensures fair access to statutory support. - 40 residents awarded Single Person Discounts worth £30,000.
Household composition checks ensured discounts were applied correctly, supporting low‑income and single‑adult households who are disproportionately affected by rising living costs. - 6 residents awarded Severe Mental Impairment (SMI) exemptions totalling £13,000.
These cases required sensitive handling, medical evidence gathering, and liaison with health professionals. The support provided ensured that some of the most vulnerable residents received the protections they are legally entitled to. - 16 residents awarded Student Exemptions totalling £12,500.
These awards ensured young people and low‑income student households were not pushed into avoidable debt.
The wider social value is even more significant:
- reduced crisis demand
- improved resident stability and resilience
- increased access to statutory support
- reduced stigma around seeking help
- earlier identification of safeguarding concerns
- more equitable outcomes across diverse resident groups
Megan Shepherd, Head of Revenues, Benefits and Housing Options, Mid Sussex Revenues and Benefits, said:
“Mid Sussex’s partnership with Welfare Together, launched in April 2024, and we have received positive feedback, from both customers that required the support and those that didn’t. Welfare Together has achieved over 30{f3b3f361cfed835ca4663055645c160a472359fe9a36c815ae3b41fd8926f56d} contact rate and successfully helped customers secure increased benefits and exemptions.”
