The benefits service provided by Epping Forest District Council is 'poor' and has 'uncertain prospects for improvement', according to an independent report released today by the Audit Commission.
On a scale from zero to three stars the Audit Commission inspection team gave the service a 'poor' zero-star rating. The report shows that the Council takes too long to process new benefit claims and to deal with appeals. It is also not doing enough to encourage the take-up of benefits or to ensure that benefits continue to be paid correctly. But it has made some progress in reducing the time taken to process claims
Ian Davidson , Audit Commission senior manager, said:
'The benefits service at Epping Forest District Council is showing few signs of improvement. Customers are waiting too long for their claims to be dealt with and overall they are dealt with poorly by such a key council service, which helps support people most in need. .The Council must do more to ensure that customers can access the service and claim benefits to which they are entitled. And it needs to work harder to make sure that people get paid correctly as well as deterring fraudsters from making false claims. To its credit, however, the Council plans to address these weaknesses and recognises that its customers deserve a better service than they currently receive.'
Strengths include:
- Customers reporting a change of circumstance are dealt with promptly
- The Council is working with the Pension Service to help elderly people claim benefits and other services.
- It makes good use of discretionary housing payments [see notes to editors] to support vulnerable people.
- It is doing well at recovering overpayments.
Weaknesses include:
- Customers making a new claim have to wait too long before getting paid.
- Customers who appeal a decision also experience unreasonably long delays.
- Customers do not know what standard of service they can expect.
- Customers using the Civic Offices at Epping are faced with limited and uninviting facilities.
- Efforts to improve the take-up of benefits are not being targeted at those who are most vulnerable.
- Not enough is done to make sure that people continue to get the right amount of benefit.
- Fraud is not effectively tackled.
Recommendations include:
- Quicker and more accurate payments to customers.
- Giving customers' needs a higher priority.
- Improving performance management and service planning
Notes to editors
- Epping Forest District Council pays out around £35 million per year to benefit claimants. Access to the service is through the Civic Office in Epping, by phone or by home visit.
- Discretionary housing payments are payments made at the discretion of the Council, subject to an annual cash limit set by central government, in cases where the Council considers that additional help with housing costs is needed by vulnerable customers.
- The Audit Commission is an independent watchdog, driving economy, efficiency and effectiveness in local public services to deliver better outcomes for everyone.
- Our work across local government, health, housing, community safety and fire and rescue services means that we have a unique perspective. We promote value for money for taxpayers, auditing the £200 billion spent by 11,000 local public bodies.
- As a force for improvement, we work in partnership to assess local public services and make practical recommendations for promoting a better quality of life for local people.
For further information, or for an embargoed copy of the full report, please contact Eric Ludlow, Regional Communications Manager (Central). Tel: 0844 798 4183 or e-mail: e-ludlow@audit-commission.gov.uk