SERVICE DELIVERY
CUSTOMER SERVICES & REVENUES & BENEFITS CUSTOMER CHARTER
What we do
The Customer Service Team is responsible for delivering front line services to customers of Oadby and Wigston Borough Council from the council offices at Bushloe House. The team meet and greet all visitors to the Council Offices, answer queries at the face to face desks, provide a cashiering service supplemented by a payment kiosk and also provide a surgery service at Oadby Library 4 days a week.
The service also deals with applications for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support and Discretionary Payments, investigates possible fraudulent claims and is responsible for the billing and collection of Council Tax and Business Rates.
Our link to the Council’s Corporate Priorities
The Customer Service Team directly contributes to the following Corporate Priorities:
Corporate Priority 1
Protect the good quality, consistent, value for money front line services provided to residents.
Corporate Priority 6
Work smarter to deliver the efficiency savings required to meet the continuing budget cuts.
Our promises to our customers and our service delivery against those promises (performance in italics)
- We will process new claims or changes to entitlement to benefit and discounts accurately.
- Claims and changes processed will be at least 98% accurate.
Accuracy is currently at 94.49% which is a slight improvement on the previous 12 months. The quality checking programme is being developed to provide better feedback to assessors to link errors to actions and solutions to drive improvements in accuracy rates.
- We will assess new claims and changes in entitlement quickly and ensure that payments due are made without delay.
- New claims will be processed on average in 15 working days
- Changes will be processed on average in 8 working days
Outcomes for the year to date are set out in the table below –new claims and changes are being processed within the target times set
Benefit performance figures 2014/15Performance Indicator / Apr 14 / May 14 / Jun 14 / Jul 14 / Aug 14 / Sep 14 / Oct 14 / Nov 14 / Dec 14 / Cumulative
No. of New claims processed / 172 / 197 / 144 / 188 / 174 / 169 / 139 / 142 / 99 / 1,424
Ave no. of days to process new claims / 9.78 / 12.94 / 14.70 / 17.06 / 17.14 / 16.85 / 13.40 / 14.97 / 16.38 / 14.74
No. of changes processed / 714 / 892 / 927 / 1180 / 877 / 921 / 869 / 776 / 650 / 7,806
Ave no. of days to process changes / 7.78 / 6.77 / 5.48 / 5.78 / 7.21 / 9.10 / 6.69 / 7.71 / 8.62 / 7.12
- We will promptly and accurately answer any questions you may have and if you need to be referred to support services we will do this without delay
3.1.Requests for advice and information will be replied to within 3 working days.
3.2.Referrals to support services will be made within 5 working days.
3.1 Work is prioritised as it is received and where a request for advice and information is identified as high priority a response will be issued within 3 days. This is checked as part of the quality checking programme.
3.2 Individual cases, where the need for support is identified are annotated against each personal record.Referrals to Support Services are prioritised and this is checked as part of the quality checking programme.
- We will work out the correct amount of Council Tax you should pay and tell you about any discounts, exemptions or reductions you should get.
- We will endeavour to issue Council Tax bills within 15 working days
The issue of Council Tax bills for new occupiers are treated as a priority.
- We will ensure that Council Tax due is properly collected from liable persons in a firm but fair manner.
- We will aim to collect 98.5% of the Council Tax that is due in year.
The collection rate at the end of December 2014 is 0.5% below target.
There has been a sharp increase in the number of council tax payers who have elected to pay over 12 instalments, the same amount will be collected but over a longer period. Council Tax payers who are reliant on Council Tax Support have to pay 15% of the charge in 2014/15 compared to 8.5% in 2013/14.
Outcomes for the year to date are set out in the table below –
Council Tax collection rates 2014/15Apr 14 / May 14 / Jun 14 / Jul 14 / Aug 14 / Sep 14 / Oct 14 / Nov 14 / Dec 14
Collection Rate / 11.3% / 20.8% / 30.3% / 39.8% / 49.2% / 58.7% / 68.5% / 77.9% / 87.4%
Target / 11.6% / 21.3% / 30.7% / 40.2% / 49.6% / 59.3% / 69.2% / 78.5% / 87.9%
- We will work out the correct amount of Business Rates you should pay and tell you about any exemptions or reliefs you should get.
6.1.We will endeavour to issue Business Rates bills within 15 working days
The issue of Business Rates bills for new occupiers are treated as a priority.
- We will ensure that Business Rates due is properly collected from liable persons in a firm but fair manner.
7.1.We will aim to collect 98.5% of Business Rates that are due in year
Collection targets for Business Rates are being met
Outcomes for the year to date are set out in the table below –
Business Rates collection rates 2014/15Apr 14 / May 14 / Jun 14 / Jul 14 / Aug 14 / Sep 14 / Oct 14 / Nov 14 / Dec 14
Collection Rate / 9.01% / 19.6% / 29.4% / 37.84% / 46.34% / 55.39% / 65.9% / 74.76% / 85.10%
Target / 11.93% / 19.31% / 29.33% / 38.05% / 46.83% / 55.92% / 65.14% / 73.99% / 82.29%
- We will take reasonable steps to prevent fraud from entering our systems.
- 100% of claims, discounts and reductions will be checked and vetted in line with established procedures and policies and original documents submitted will be returned within 2 working days.
Procedures are in place to check that all claims are fully completed and signed and that all documentary proof is provided. Where original documents are submitted they are returned to the customer within 2 working days.
- We will take quick and robust action against those guilty of fraud to protect public funds by ensuring any monies fraudulently claimed are recovered.
9.1.Cases requiring investigation for suspected fraud will be referred within two working days.
9.2.Cases being considered for sanction will be interviewed within 20 working days.
9.3.Cases where fraud is found will be billed for overpayment within 10 working days.
9.1 There is a procedure in place for referring cases to the investigation officer where fraud is suspected – these are treated as a priority.
Quality checking supports this.
9.2 At the point where there is enough evidence to warrant an Interview under Caution (IUC), the case is booked as soon as there is interview capacity. This is monitored through regular file checks. Delays in action must be accounted for within case notes. This is checked by the Fraud Manager.
9.3 Where a fraud investigation results in an overpayment of Benefit, the Investigation Officer must report her findings to the Senior Benefit Officer within two working days of the date that all of the information is received (typically this will be the date of the IUC).
Overpayments classified as Fraud are a priority and are billed to the debtor within 10 days.
This is monitored through quality checking.
Fraud outcomes for the year to date are set out in the table below -
Fraud/investigationsApr 14 / May 14 / Jun 14 / Jul 14 / Aug 14 / Sep 14 / Oct 14 / Nov 14 / Dec 14 / Cumulative
No. of cases referred / 14 / 8 / 20 / 15 / 15 / 13 / 4 / 21 / 7 / 117
Number of current investigations / 25 / 34 / 32 / 37 / 37 / 32 / 32 / 38 / 40 / 307
Cautions/Admin Penalty/Prosecution / 1 / 0 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 5 / 2 / 1 / 0 / 10
Private Tenant Fraudulent Overpayments / 20,685.91 / 0.00 / 0.00 / 24,273.44 / 21,321.02 / 24,666.14 / 0.00 / 25,204.33 / 18,159.64 / 134,310.48
Council Tenant Fraudulent Overpayments / 0.00 / 0.00 / 8,915.28 / 0.00 / 0.00 / 0.00 / 1,125.46 / 0.00 / 0.00 / 10,040.74
Council Tax Benefit Fraudulent Overpayments / 1,884.30 / 0.00 / 476.08 / 5,348.54 / 4,952.28 / -1,640.88 / 3,079.51 / 218.73 / 1,371.14 / 15,689.70
Council Tax Support Fraudulent Overpayments / 635.83 / 0.00 / 0.00 / 1,794.61 / 1,499.15 / 731.54 / 582.01 / 466.48 / 2,265.08 / 7,974.70
- We will ensure that our services are accessible to all our customers and we will promote the options for customers to self-serve and access information and support through our on line services.
10.1.Applications for benefits, discounts and reliefs will be made available on line.
The Council’s website has been redesigned to make it easier to navigate and to support the introduction of on line forms through the Customer Service Transformation Project. Making services available on line will give residents the choice about how they access our services.
There will be the option to self serve at theCustomer Service Centre with the assistance of trained staff where required. This will encourage residents to self serve, with assistance where they need it, opening up the opportunity for them to access services remotely at a time that is convenient for them.
The council will continue to offer home visits for residents who are not able to attend the Customer Service Centre or access on line services.
COMPLAINTS AND COMPLIMENTS
Four complaints were received.
Customer Services: A complaint regarding the delivery of customer service
Benefits x2: From benefit customers who were dissatisfied with unfavourable decisions made on their Housing Benefit claims
Council Tax: A complaint regarding costs applied through enforcement.
All were dealt with in accordance with the council’s Compliments, Comments and Complaints Policy and Procedure.
16 complimentswere received.
Benefits: For explaining a complex matter in a way that was easy for the customer to understand
Benefits: For spending time with a customer with complex problems who was fleeing domestic violence and helping her to make a claim for benefit
Council Tax: For the prompt award of a discount
Customer Services x 2: For providing great customer service at Oadby Library
Customer Services: For being really helpful
Customer Services: For helping a customer to complete a Discretionary Payment application and for fast tracking the claim.
Benefits: For helping a customer who had serious health issues to gain a permanent move
Council Tax: For providing helpful and positive service
Benefits: For being particularly helpful in sorting out a claim
Business rates: For awarding small business rates relief
Benefits: For providing helpful advice to a landlord whose tenant who was defaulting on their rent
Benefits: For referring a vulnerable person to a food bank
Benefits: For the advice given to someone who needs an extra room for a carer to ensure they receive all the benefits they are entitled to
Benefits: From a tribunal judge complimenting the presenting officer on his presenting skills, fairness and open mindedness
Council Tax: For prompt and efficient service
And
Customer Services: Have received numerous compliments for the speed of dealing with emails following a change in how emails are processed