The Benefit Service provided by the London Borough of Enfield is 'fair' and has 'promising' 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 'fair' one star rating. This was because customers' views are used to shape the service; performance shows that new claims and changes of circumstances are being processed relatively promptly and that the service makes good use of discretionary housing payments to support vulnerable residents. However, other areas had only recently seen improvements in performance, for example in terms of getting through to the service on the phone.
Jackie Barry-Purssell, Audit Commission senior manager, said:
'This vitally important service has the necessary support, plans and capacity to improve. It has good working relationships with community groups such as the Over 50's forum and the providers of social housing within the borough. It has also started several projects to provide residents, with improved access to the service so they can be provided with more timely and effective support. The Council is aware of the areas that need further improvement and work is underway to tackle these.'
Strengths include:
- Service standards have been developed and are widely displayed.
- The overall level of overpayment debt is reducing at a time when average rents, and therefore benefit levels, are increasing and the number of cases being managed is the highest it has ever been.
- Benefit take-up work has helped to ensure many residents in financial need now receive their full benefit entitlement.
Weaknesses include:
- Customers have had difficulty accessing the service by phone.
- Letters issued by the service are not always clear or easy to understand and the quality of advice given by customer service staff is inconsistent.
- Customers who appeal a decision or ask the service to reconsider a decision wait too long to have it dealt with.
Recommendations include:
- Continue to improve customer access.
- Improve the impact of anti-fraud work.
Copies of the report are available from the London Borough of Enfield or from the Audit Commission website at www.audit-commission.gov.uk/reports
Notes to editors
- Housing Benefit (HB) and Council Tax Benefit (CTB) are national welfare benefits administered by the Council on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). A complex legal framework is in place to define who is entitled to benefit and to reduce fraud and error in the system. The Benefits Service within a council has a responsibility to pay the right benefit to the right person at the right time.
- The Service in Enfield pays out around £262 million per year to:
- 34,061 people claiming CTB: and
- 18,774 people claiming Rent Allowance of which 4,767 are tenants of Registered Social Housing and 14,007 are tenants of private landlords. The Council Tenant HB caseload is 10,253.
- The cost of running the Service in 2008/2009 is £8.2 million of which £4.6 million is funded by the DWP (grant and subsidy incentive). The remainder is met by the Council, £2.1million of which is funded through the excess of overpayment income collection beyond subsidy reduction.
- The Revenues, Benefits and Housing IT Division (the Service) is part of the Finance and Corporate Resources Department. The Service's 190 staff work in three teams; benefits operations, support systems, and collection. Within the same department the housing benefit investigation team (HBI) forms part of the Internal Audit and Risk Management Division.
- 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.
- On 13 August 2010 the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government announced that he plans to disband the Audit Commission. His intention is to have new arrangements in place for auditing England's public bodies by 2012/13.
For more details about the role of the Audit Commission visit www.audit-commission.gov.uk
For further information please contact: Chloe Morales Oyarce, Regional Communications Manager (London) on 0844 798 2095