News from Westminster Labour

Westminster Council benefit service letting down the vulnerable

Westminster City Council’s benefit service is failing vulnerable people who need its help, according to the independent Audit Commission which gave the service only one star (on a range of none to three) and told the council to make improvements. The service is run by Capita.

Inspection of the service in March this year discovered that people making new claims have to wait over a month, on average, for their claim to be processed. Some have waited 80 days, and the delays are longer this year than last. Nearly one in three claims have to be sent back to Capita because of an error.

According to the Audit Commission, when trying to get more people to claim benefits to which they are entitled, the Council does not target areas known to have poor take-up, and doesn’t check to see when it has been successful in promoting claims. The cost of running the service is also high compared to other councils, but the Audit Commission says that the Council hasn’t checked to see how costs could be brought down.

Councillor David Boothroyd, the Labour councillor on the Council’s Audit and Performance Committee, commented: “The council needs to put the benefits service right for people with new claims. There will be a rash of new claims when the Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition government starts sacking public sector workers, and they will be dependent on their claim being paid quickly and accurately, but this report shows the service is letting them down. Why don’t they follow the good practices of Labour-run Newham and Tower Hamlets which the Audit Commission has highlighted?

“The contract is also costing council taxpayers far more than it should – we pay an extra 58% over the central government subsidy, when the average is 45%. It’s a patchy service which is questionable value for money. It needs to be fixed.”

Other news from Westminster Labour

• Twelve questions for the next Leader of Westminster Council - 10 February 2012
• Westminster Council joint bottom of London league for Adult Social Care - 6 February 2012
• Westminster Labour calls for an 'outbreak of democracy' over election of new council Leader - 2 February 2012