The benefits service provided by Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council is 'good' 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 benefits service a 'good' two stars rating. The time taken to process claims has reduced despite an increase in caseload during the recession. More people have been made aware of the benefits they are entitled to, which raises them out of poverty and also benefits the local economy. Fraudulent claims and processing errors are tackled effectively, and the cost of providing the service compares well with other councils.
Pat Johnson, Audit Commission senior manager, said:
'Rochdale Council's benefits service has improved significantly. Up until quite recently people waited too long to have their claims dealt with. People need to know that if they lose their jobs or something else negatively affects their finances, things won't get even worse because of delays in getting housing and council tax benefit. The Council has made clear progress here, and we found examples of things other areas could learn from. At the same time, there is more that could be done to improve information for local people, so they know what help is available.'
Strengths include:
Weaknesses include:
To help the service improve, inspectors made a number of recommendations. These include:
Rochdale Council's Benefits Service pays out around £81 million in benefits per year to 26,420 people claiming Council Tax Benefit and 21,560 people claiming Housing Benefit.
The Benefits Service employs 41.5 full-time equivalent staff and has a gross revenue budget of £2.82 million for 2009/10. It receives DWP administration subsidy of £2.2 million and the balance is met by the Council.
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 more information or a copy of the report please contact David Rose at The Audit Commission on 0844 798 6654 or d-rose@audit-commission.gov.uk
Copyright © 2025 · All Rights Reserved · Institute of Revenues Rating and Valuation
Warning: Undefined array key "User_id" in /home/irrvnet/public_html/forumalert/inc_footer.php on line 4