‘Fair’ rating for benefits system

THE benefits service provided by Oldham Council has been rated as “fair” with signs of improvement, according to a report by the Audit Commission.

But it found customers were waiting too long for phone calls to be answered and many could not understand complicated letters about their claim.

The benefits service in Oldham has been provided with Unity Partnership since 2007, with over 80 staff paying out £89million a year in benefits to 44,000 claimants.

On a scale from no stars to three stars, the inspection team gave the service a one-star rating.

The independent watchdog found Oldham Council dealt with claims for housing and council benefits quickly and there was a good choice of ways for customers to have their claims dealt with, including face-to-face with a decision made while they wait.

Customers were also satisfied with the service they received.

However, difficulties included using too much legal jargon, a slow response to appeals and requests for reconsideration of claims, and difficulty getting through to the service on the telephone, although the report noted that had improved since November, 2009.

The total cost of the service to the council, including the services it provides in-house, is £3.2 million a year.

The Department of Work and Pensions subsidises that with £2.2 million a year, leaving £1 million to be met by the council.

Pat Johnson, Audit Commission senior manager, said: “The council has made good progress in the last year, especially in the time taken to deal with claims.

“A new management team is in place now and I am confident that improvement will continue.

“The council knows where its weaknesses are and has plans to address them.”

To help the service improve, inspectors recommended that benefit overpayments should be recovered more quickly.

Standards of care should be published so customers know what to expect and letters should be written in plain English.

The council should also make sure all customers are treated equally by training staff and checking satisfaction levels by different groups of customers.

An Oldham Council spokesman said in 2007-08 citizens were waiting 32 days for claims to be processed, which was in the worst 25 per cent of councils nationally.

Now, all new claims and change of circumstances are processed in around 11 days on average, which puts the service in the top 50 per cent nationally.

Councillor Mohammed Masud, Cabinet member for customer services, said: “Our record on new claims compares very favourably with councils around the country — something which is extremely important during these harsh financial times. We recognise there is scope for improvement and take the report’s recommendations on board in a bid to deliver an even better service.”