The benefits service provided by Hart District Council 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 is because benefit claims are dealt with quickly, customer care is good and users are satisfied with the service they receive. But benefit calculations are not always accurate and insufficient attention is paid to preventing and detecting benefit fraud.
Linda Krywald, Audit Commission senior manager, said:
'During the recession the Council's benefit service has helped needy people to meet their housing costs by paying council tax and housing benefits promptly, and encouraging more people to claim. The seamless transfer of the service to a contractor has given the Council access to wider skills and experience and this will help it to continue to improve.'
Strengths include:
* dealing with new benefit claims and changes in circumstances quickly;
* good customer care; and
* providing effective help to vulnerable people.
Weaknesses include:
* the accuracy of benefit calculations;
* a poor understanding of costs; and
* insufficient attention given to preventing and detecting benefit fraud.
To help the service improve, inspectors made a number of recommendations. These include:
* improving value for money;
* improving accuracy of benefit payments; and
* tackling benefit fraud more effectively.
Since May 2008 Hart District Council has employed a contractor to run its Benefits Service, In 2008/09 it paid out around £12 million to over 2000 residents claiming benefit payments for council tax and housing.