Section: Benefits & Grants
Improvements in Processing Benefits
For the
first time more than half of local councils are meeting or beating the Department for Works & Pensions' target of processing new Housing Benefit
claims within 36 days. The quarterly figures show:
- The number of councils meeting the national standard of 36 days for processing
new claims increased from 33% in 2003/04 to 50% in 2004/05, and to 59% in the fourth quarter of 2004/05.
- The average number of days to
process new claims reduced from 50 days in 2003/04 to 46 days in 2004/05, and to 39 days in the fourth quarter of 2004/05.
- Councils in the
bottom quartile took between 42 and 101 days in the fourth quarter of 2004/05, compared with between 59 and 143 days in the same period in
2003/04.
