BOROUGH OF POOLE

Community Support Overview Group

TUESDAY 30th SEPTEMBER 2003

REPORT OF HEAD OF REVENUE & BENEFITS SERVICES

BENEFIT PERFORMANCE MONITORING

2002 / 2003 AND FOR THE YEAR APRIL TO 31 AUGUST 2003

  1. Purpose
  2. This report provides members with key performance information in relation to the administration of housing and council tax benefit. This includes Best Value Performance Indicators where appropriate and local performance indicators.
  3. Members are asked to raise any questions with officers outside of committee.
  1. Contents
  2. The performance of the benefit service is broken down into 5 areas as detailed below. The final figures for 2002 / 2003 and the year to date as at 31 August are given in appendix “A” followed by the graphs show the monthly figures to date and last year’s final figures.

2.2.Processing of Benefits

2.2.1.Most of the Best Value PIs relate to the speed of processing. The time starts from when a claim is received at the Civic Centre and ends when the claim is processed. The PIs deal with new claims, changes in circumstances and renewals paid on time

2.2.2.The 14-day target is based in law and is a local target, this however starts from when all information has been received from the claimant.

2.2.3.The caseload is identified on the graph for information.

2.2.4.Staff retention and recruitment has been a major issue to the service. Every effort has been made to maintain performance but inevitably some of the performance figures have been affected.

2.3.Dealing with Customers

2.3.1.The reception area receives a large number of visitors a day. The section employs 4 part time staff to deal specifically with queries but this is supplemented by Benefit Assessors.

2.3.2.The graph deals with the number of visitors, number of correspondence received and number of complaints per month.

2.4.Overpayment Recovery

2.4.1.Overpayments of benefit can arise number of ways, from Fraudulent claims, to changes in circumstances being informed late. They can be recovered in; weekly instalments, from ongoing payments of housing benefit or from other state benefits. Levels of recovery from ongoing benefit are set by regulation.

2.4.2.This includes a graph as to the age of the debts outstanding. Some overpayments that are being recovered from state benefits can take some years to collect.

2.5.Fraud

2.5.1.The section has 4 fraud investigation officers. They have been successful in identifying and preventing a number of frauds. We operate our own free phone hot line and receive referrals from members of the public, Dept. for Work and Pensions data matching and our own staff’s vigilance.

Due to staff changes during the year 2 new staff are currently being recruited.

2.6.Gross Benefit Expenditure

This is the monthly total expenditure on the different types of benefit. It should be noted that council tax benefit is effectively paid for the whole year in advance.

  1. Performance Improvement 2003/4
  2. Action Taken
  3. In order to improve performance towards the Governments standards, an action plan has been produced. A number of steps taken which in the medium term should allow us to perform at a higher standard.
  4. The measures taken include:
  • Increasing the number of assessment staff. Using new funding from Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
  • A New training programme using the Creekmoor IT suite and an external training provider, funded by Government Performance fund bid.
  • Recruitment and retention package increasing the salary grading for Benefit Assessors. Funded from new funding from DWP.
  • Implemented second weekly payment run to pay new claims.
  • Convert office into a training room with performance fund bid.

3.2.Performance in August

3.2.1.Performance is now beginning to improve

Number of days to process new claims 42 days

Days to process change of circumstance 18 days

John Springett

Head of Revenue and Benefits Service

Contact Officer

Brett Jones

Benefit Manager

Tel 01202 633143

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Appendix A

Best Value Performance Indicators for the Benefit Service

BVPI
/ 2001/2 / 2002/3 provisional outturn / 2003/4
year to date figure at
31 August 03 / Government Performance Standard target by 2006/7
78a / Number of days to process new claim / 41 / 46 / 45 / 36
78b / Days to process change of circumstance / 17 / 18 / 19 / 9
78c / % renewal claims paid on time / 53 / 53 / 46.4 / 85
79a / % Accuracy of process / 97 / 94 / 93 / NA
79b / % of overpayments recovered / 67 / 56 / 30.3
(72% forecast to year end) / NA



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