Torbay Council's Benefits Service (the Service) provides a service rated as 'fair' with 'promising' prospects for improvement.
The Council works well with partner organisations to make sure people can access the service in a number of ways. It actively encourages people to get the benefits they are entitled to and customers are involved in shaping the service. The Council has adapted the way it delivers the benefits service to specific groups, such as older people. Processing times, and the accuracy and recovery of overpayments, have recently improved.
But it can sometimes take too long to get through on the phone and payments are not always accurate – the Council is working hard to make sure that more people get the right benefit at the right time, but has more to do. There is a lack of focus on value for money. The service costs are comparatively high and focusing on speed rather than accuracy in the past resulted in a loss of over £1m in government subsidy over the last four years.