Archived press release

Date Published: 22/09/06

Aylesbury Vale District Council’s benefits team are celebrating after being named one of the top ten highest performing services in the country for processing housing and council tax benefit claims. Information on the council’s perfor...

Aylesbury Vale District Council’s benefits team are celebrating after being named one of the top ten highest performing services in the country for processing housing and council tax benefit claims.

Information on the council’s performance in the first quarter of the 2006/7 financial year has just been released by the Department for Work and Pensions. AVDC has been named eighth best in the country for processing new benefit claims and is one of the top performers in a variety of other areas.

The Department for Work and Pensions expect councils to process new claims in 36 days. However, benefit claimants in Aylesbury Vale can expect to wait on average just 17 days for AVDC to process their claims, three days less than the council’s average waiting time in 2005/6. This is compared to some 29 councils who are taking more than 50 days to process new claims.

AVDC is also amongst the top quarter in five other areas measured by the government, including the average time for processing changes of circumstances, the accuracy of processing information and payments starting within 14 days. This means that customers in Aylesbury Vale are getting a good all-round service.

Changes of circumstances are processed within four days, three days less than the average time taken in 2005/6, putting the council fourth in the national performance table for this area. The council also completes 100 per cent of new claims within 14 days, compared to 99 per cent in the last financial year. The council’s accuracy rate in the processing of claims remains the best in the country. 

Councillor Margaret Morgan-Owen, Cabinet Member for Resources, congratulated the 25 strong benefits team for their efforts. She said: “The benefits system is very complex and it is a real credit to the staff here that we have managed to become eighth best in the country for processing new claims. We strive to provide local people with the best service possible in all areas from when they fill out their forms to ensuring that benefits are paid within a set time. We have every intention of building on our success and finishing higher in the rankings next time.”

Aylesbury Vale residents needing advice on housing or council tax benefit are asked to contact the council’s benefits team on 01296 585618 or email benefits@aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk