16 September 2004 - Benefit Fraud Inspectorate (BFI) first inspection: Swindon Borough Council
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Alan Johnson has today published a first inspection report by the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate (BFI) on the administration of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit and counter-fraud activity by Swindon Borough Council.
In 2002/03, Swindon Borough Council administered nearly £35 million in housing benefits, about 13 per cent of its gross revenue expenditure.
BFI inspected the council against the Performance Standards for housing benefits. The report found that the council was not at standard for any of the seven functional areas – strategic management, customer services, processing of claims, working with landlords, internal security, counter-fraud, and overpayments.
However, the report concludes that the council had made sustained improvements in some important areas since the current contractor took responsibility for the Benefits service in August 2002.
Between August 2002 and January 2003 it had cleared its backlog of work of some 9,400 cases and made significant improvements in processing new benefit claims, reducing the time taken to determine claims from 89 days on average in 2002/03 to 59 days in 2003/04.
It had also carried out a number of good quality fraud investigations, prosecuting 8 benefit fraudsters during 2003/04.
However, the council needs to develop a strategic management infrastructure to enable effective management and monitoring of the Benefit service. This will also provide senior managers and elected Members with assurance that recommendations from auditors and other regulators are implemented.
The council also needs to do more to process claims accurately, prevent and deter benefit fraud and recover the £2.58 million of Housing Benefit debt outstanding.
BFI is an independent unit within the Department for Work and Pensions that reports directly to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the standard of benefit administration and counter-fraud activity.
Chris Pond, Work and Pensions Minister, announced the publication of the report in a written Ministerial statement.
Notes for editors
- The process for the first inspection at Swindon Borough Council included an initial fact finding stage, an on-site visit, and production and clearance of the report. The on-site visit took place during February 2004.
- Each BFI inspection report is considered by the Secretary of State who decides whether any further action is appropriate. The Secretary of State has powers to issue directions to a local authority to secure acceptable or minimum standards in performance.
- In its response to the Housing Green Paper of November 2000, the Department for Work and Pensions developed a performance framework for housing benefits. The HB/CTB Performance Standards, published in April 2002, enable local authorities to make a comprehensive self-assessment of whether they deliver benefit effectively and securely. These are the standards that the Department for Work and Pensions expects local authorities to aspire to and achieve in time.
- The Department for Work and Pensions has not set a timescale for when the standards need to be met by local authorities.
- BFI inspects against the seven functional areas of the Performance Standards:
- Strategic management – clearly stated aims and action, resources and monitoring, with effective training and IT
- Customer services – providing an efficient and prompt service that meets the needs of all claimants and persons with a legitimate interest in a claim
- Processing of claims – speedy and accurate claims processing with effective verification
Working with landlords – to give private landlords the confidence to let to claimants and to support delivery of social housing - Internal security – preventing internal fraud
- Counter-fraud – deterring, preventing, detecting and pursuing fraud
- Overpayments – preventing, identifying and recovering overpayments.
- The HB/CTB Performance Standards can be downloaded from: www.dwp.gov.uk/housingbenefit/publications/2003.
- Media copies of the BFI inspection report can be obtained from the Department for Work and Pensions Press Office on 020 7238 0866.
- All BFI inspection reports can be found on the BFI website – www.bfi.gov.uk.
Department for Work and Pensions Press enquiries: 020 7238 0758
BFI Press enquiries: 01423 83 2938
Out of hours: 07659 108883
Public enquiries: 020 77122171