19 January 2005 - Inspection focuses on areas of poor performance in administering benefits
The Benefit Fraud Inspectorate (BFI) will be inspecting local authorities that:
- take much longer than the target of 36 days to process new claims; or
- are weak at countering fraud; or
- have a poor record of administering overpayments.
Anti-Fraud Minister Chris Pond said today: “Paying the right amount of housing benefits to the right person at the right time is hugely important. Minimising fraud and error is essential given the £15 billion paid out each year.
The prompt payment of housing benefits is crucial to the well-being of over 4 million vulnerable people. And delays in processing claims for benefits can deter people from moving into work. The next programme of BFI inspections will concentrate on councils which have weaknesses in specific areas of benefits administration.
Many councils are improving in paying benefits accurately and on time to the people that need them and that is very encouraging. But there are still too many that urgently need to improve their performance”.
Shorter focused inspections in up to 7 authorities will be undertaken because these authorities take longer than the national average to process benefit claims.
These authorities are: Dacorum Borough Council, South Ayrshire Council, Inverclyde Council, North Wiltshire District Council, Boston Borough Council, East Dunbartonshire Council, Perth and Kinross Council.
- focused inspections of authorities’ counter-fraud arrangements will be undertaken in Falkirk Council, West Dunbartonshire Council and Brentwood Borough Council.
- focused inspections of authorities’ control of overpayments will be undertaken in Aberdeen City Council and Tandridge District Council.
- full inspections will be undertaken in Great Yarmouth Borough Council, Slough Borough Council and Malvern Hills District Council because their recent Comprehensive Performance Assessment showed them as only fair. A full inspection will be undertaken in Bridgend County Borough Council because they were categorised as at risk in the Wales Programme for Improvement.
BFI is an independent unit within the Department for Work and Pensions that inspects and reports directly to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the standard of Benefits administration and counter-fraud activity in councils and the Department.
Chris Pond, Anti-Fraud Minister, announced the latest BFI programme of work in a written ministerial statement.
Notes for editors
- The BFI was launched in November 1997 as part of the Government’s initiatives to reduce the high levels of fraud in the social security system. BFI is part of the Department for Work and Pensions, operating independently of those responsible for administering benefits, and reporting directly to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.
- The BFI inspects social security benefits administration and counter-fraud activity within the Department for Work and Pensions and local authorities, reporting its findings to the Secretary of State, and publishing its reports to promote good practice.
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