Politics

Remember to upload all of the documentary evidence requested by the Client and Cost management System (CCMS) when you make your claim.

The requirements for this documentation are uniform across both CCMS and the old paper-based claiming system.

Common issues – documents

1.Court orders needing to be uploaded: 20% of all secondary requests are because the LAA requires a court order to confirm the claim.

Where advocacy is claimed under the Family Advocacy Scheme (FAS), court orders for advocacy should be uploaded to CCMS for:

• contested interim hearing with a court bundle
• ‘Issues Resolution Hearing’ that concludes proceedings
• 3 or more advocates’ meetings

Court orders for disbursements should also be uploaded for any claim for drug testing or where there is an unusual division of a disbursement between the parties.

2.Incomplete or missing advocates’ attendance forms: the requirements for a completed FAS form for advocacy have not changed where there is a:

• ‘Hearing Unit 2’ or higher – i.e. the hearing time is greater than 61 minutes or is a final hearing.

• claim for any bolt-on or bundle

3.Incomplete or missing disbursement vouchers: any disbursement more than £20 (including VAT) still requires a completed and broken down disbursement voucher.

Where a voucher is not available, such as for court fees, a ledger is an acceptable alternative.

4.Incomplete or missing billing details: when claiming at hourly rates, any work entered as ‘other’ should be provided with an explanatory note uploaded to CCMS explaining the work.

5.Missing case narratives: all cases must still be accompanied with a case narrative. This can also be used to explain any unusual claim being made – such as travel under the ‘local travel’ rules.

Other common claim issues

1. Counsel costs under FAS: if counsel is claiming under the FAS make sure that the costs claimed by counsel match the allocated cost limit.
2. Counsel costs at hourly rates: if counsel is claiming by way of hourly rates, make sure their bill is submitted at the same time as yours.
3. Expert’s breakdown: make sure expert claims contain sufficient detail of the work carried out.
4. Incomplete financial issues: any statutory charge or ‘inter-party’ cost issues should be closed using the ‘case outcome’ task.

Further information

CCMS training Quick Guides – for guidance on submitting bills in CCMS

CIV Claim1 – documentary evidence checklists

CIV CLAIM1A – more useful documentary evidence checklists

Sara Weller is a Non-Executive Director at Lloyds Banking Group and United Utilities plc. She also chairs the Planning Inspectorate, an executive agency of the Department for Communities and Local Government, and is on the Governing Council at Cambridge University and the board of the Higher Education Funding Council for England.

Sara brings an extensive business background to the role. She was Managing Director of Argos from 2004 to 2011 and previously held senior executive roles at J Sainsbury plc, Abbey National and Mars. She holds a First class Masters in Chemistry from the University of Oxford.

Welcoming the appointment, Secretary of State of the Department for Work and Pensions, Damian Green said:

Sara Weller has an excellent track record in business and a wealth of top tier board experience which I have no doubt she will bring to the role.

I’d like to thank Dame Clara for her dedication and hard work over the past 6 years. Her work has helped to improve the department’s governance as it delivers an ambitious programme of work, welfare, and pensions reforms.

Sara Weller said:

The work that DWP does touches customers at almost every stage of life.

As the department moves from reform to a process of embedding change, I look forward to bringing my expertise in business and strategy to the country’s biggest public service department.

The role of the board is to advise the department on performance, including agreeing key performance indicators. It also oversees operational issues, such as the operational and delivery implications of policy proposals, and the effective management of the department.

It exercises its role through influence and advice, and both supports and challenges the executive.

Members also scrutinise the progress and implementation of the business plan, and are involved in recruiting, appraising and ensuring appropriate succession planning of senior executives.

The board meets regularly with other non-executives across government to ensure departments learn from the successes and failures of comparable organisations.

All board members, including the lead, are appointed for a 3-year period.