Introduction
On 1 April 2008, responsibility for the inspection of housing and council tax benefit services was transferred from the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate (BFI) to the Audit Commission.
English councils spend over £16.5 billion on housing and council tax benefit payments. Efficient and effective benefit services make a vital contribution to the social and economic well-being of an area. They make a significant contribution to local authorities’ strategies to address poverty, deprivation, homelessness and worklessness. Benefit services can enable fairer access to decent homes, and be a gateway to better health. A poorly performing service can have far-reaching detrimental effects on the lives of people in our communities who find themselves in circumstances that make them vulnerable.
Between June 2007 and February 2008 we undertook pilot inspections of benefit services at the following nine councils in order to prepare for the transfer of powers:
- Blaby District Council;
- Bradford Metropolitan District Council;
- Chester-le-Street District Council;
- Derby City Council;
- Merton London Borough;
- Newham London Borough;
- Slough Borough Council;
- Tower Hamlets London Borough; and
- Wokingham District Council.
These pilot inspections have helped us to test and inform our methodology. All the councils volunteered for the inspections, although future inspections will take place only where authorities are already underperforming, or show a risk that they may do so. The inspections provided many examples of the different approaches that councils make to deliver this important service to local people. They have also provided us with an opportunity to share the findings with other councils, in order to stimulate wider improvement.
We have produced a web tool that focuses on a number of areas relating to benefit services. We have highlighted many positive examples and hope that this will help to stimulate improvement in other councils. This tool does not cover all aspects of benefits work but aims to highlight some of the most interesting approaches identified from the pilot inspections. Findings are presented under the following thematic headings:
The findings are presented in a variety of ways:
- examples from each authority are used throughout the main body of the text to illustrate key points;
- one main example of notable practice is provided for each of the nine themes; and
- case studies are provided throughout to demonstrate the process of improvement following the pilot inspections.
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