14 June 2005 - Benefit Fraud Inspectorate (BFI) Inspections of local authorities administering housing benefits slowly or insecurely
BFI is to inspect six local authorities that are slow at administering new claims to housing benefits and seven that raise few sanctions against fraudsters. Another authority that is performing poorly on a number of fronts will also be inspected. These inspections, announced today by the Minister with responsibility for housing benefits, James Plaskitt, will seek to improve housing benefits services so that customer needs are better met and public money better protected.
James Plaskitt said today: “BFI’s phase 12 programme of inspections emphasises the importance of local authorities delivering high quality, secure Housing Benefit services. There is still too wide a gap between those authorities delivering a good service and those that are not. Customers, often the most vulnerable members of the community, are entitled to receive the right amount of money at the right time; and taxpayers have every right to expect that their money is protected against fraud.”
The BFI programme will cover the following authorities that were taking longer than to process new claims than the national average of 42 days in the quarter ended December 2004: Rhondda Cynon Taff County Borough Council, Rugby Borough Council, the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, Havant Borough Council, Highland Council and Cardiff Council.
Seven authorities that have raised very few, or no counter-fraud prosecutions or sanctions will also be inspected. These are: Cannock Chase District Council, Waverley Borough Council, Borough of Poole, West Devon Borough Council, Weymouth and Portland Borough Council, Mendip District Council and Clackmannanshire Council.
Ceredigion County Council’s benefits service was found to be at risk following assessment as part of the Wales Programme for Improvement and all parts of its benefits service will be inspected.
Mr Plaskitt added: “I am pleased to announce that planned inspections of Malvern Hills District Council and Mansfield District Council will not now go ahead because these councils have shown significant improvements in their performance.”
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 effectiveness and security of Benefits administration in councils and the Department.
James Plaskitt, Housing Benefit Minister, announced the latest BFI programme of work in a written ministerial statement.
Notes for the editor
- 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. The BFI inspects the effectiveness and security of benefits administration within the Department for Work and Pensions and local authorities. It is part of the Department but operates independently of those responsible for administering benefits and reports directly to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. BFI’s reports are published, to promote good practice.
- The Department for Work and Pensions seeks to ensure customers receive a high quality service, including high levels of accuracy. Targets have been agreed with the Treasury to reduce the average time taken to process a Housing Benefit claim to no more than 48 days nationally and to no more than 55 days in the bottom 15 per cent of local authorities, by March 2008. There are also targets to cut fraud and error in Housing Benefit by 25 per cent by 2008.
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