3 - Business Services Performance Report
Renfrewshire Council · 9 February 2023
Back to Finance, Resources and Customer Services Policy Board — 9 February 2023 and its agenda
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_________________________________________________________________ To: Finance, Resources and Customer Services Policy Board On: 9 February 2023 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Director of Finance and Resources ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: Business Services Performance Report ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1 This report details performance across key Business Services functions including revenue collection and benefit administration for the period ending 28 December 2022 (including an update on the funding and expenditure position in relation to Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) and the Scottish Welfare Fund). _______________________________________________________________ 2. Recommendations 2.1 It is recommended that the Board: Note the contents of the report. _______________________________________________________________ 3. Revenue Collection 3.1 Council Tax 3.1.1 This section details the collection performance as at 28 December 2022 for Council Tax. It also provides details of the total sums collected for the previous financial year. 3.1.2 The billable sum for 2022/23 is £94,202,701.
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3.1.3 The sums collected to date for 2022/23 are £82,161,107 which is 87.22% of the billable sum (87.26% last year). This represents a slight decrease of 0.04% in cash collection as a proportion of net charges billed compared with the same position for 2021/22. 3.1.4 The Scottish Government’s Cost of Living Awards scheme payments, which resulted in £9,376,650 being credited to Council Tax accounts earlier this year, are reflected in the sums collected. It was anticipated that the percentage increase previously reported would lessen over the remaining months of the year as customers’ reduced instalments take effect. It is expected that the ongoing cost of living crisis is likely to have an impact on the level of collection this year. 3.1.5 The Council Tax Reduction (CTR) awarded is £13,173,790, amounting to 12.27% of the billable sum, which is 0.93% less than at the same point last year. 3.1.6 The Service continues to work through a volume of outstanding CTR applications and continues to encourage the take-up of CTR. Activities planned for the new financial year will include close tracking of potential applications and data matching to maximise CTR awards and support customers, where possible. 3.2 Non-Domestic Rates 3.2.1 This section details the collection performance as at 28th December 2022 for Non-Domestic Rates (NDR). It also provides details of the total sums collected for the last financial year. 3.2.2 The Non-Domestic Rates (NDR) charges billed for 2022/23 amount to £126,190,425; this is significantly higher than the levied amount of £88,651,662 for 2021/22. Reduced take up of less generous Covid-19 reliefs in comparison to 2021/22 largely accounts for the increase. 3.2.3 The cash receipts to date amount to £101,397,428 which is 80.35% of the sum billed. This is an increase in cash collection as a proportion of net charges billed of 3.54% compared with the same position for 2021/22. 3.2.4 Payment collection for Non-Domestic Rates commences in May each year. 4. Benefit administration This section details the processing performance in relation to Housing Benefit and the Scottish Welfare Fund, as at the end of December 2022. Also provided is an update on the funding and expenditure position in relation to Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) and the Scottish Welfare Fund.
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4.1 Workload and Performance 4.1.1 The Service aims to balance the varied and changing workload resulting from the impact of the pandemic, in particular redirection of the significant resources which were required to support Self-Isolation Support Grants in the first quarter of the year. 4.1.2 Work to retrieve the target position continues, due to the nature of benefits workload it was always anticipated that, regrettably, this would take some months. 4.1.3 Recovery was impacted significantly by the Christmas closure, where two weeks of processing time is lost. There is normally a dip in performance in early January following the festive break, this is magnified this year because of the recovery position. 4.1.4 Recruitment and training of new team members has progressed with all posts filled. Training for benefits work is an extensive process, taking several weeks for a new team member to become proficient in a single process, many months to be fully trained in all areas and be fully productive. Intensive training support is in place for less experienced team members. 4.1.5 Additional temporary resources have been sourced and deployed to the service; this will provide critical support and has already started to make an impact in reducing volumes. 4.1.6 The Service has a targeted plan in place with activity focussed on clearing oldest items, balanced with addressing priority cases. 4.1.7 As previously reported, the outstanding volume of work is following the high volume of Self-isolation Support Grants at the start of the calendar year and substantial changes to the Council Tax Reduction Scheme, which resulted in significant manual intervention being required to enable processing. This manual intervention was temporary, and the previous automated solution has now been resumed. 4.2 Speed of Processing – Housing/Council Tax Benefit 4.2.1 As detailed in Table 1 below, processing speed for New Claims is outwith target for the period. A much-improved processing time was achieved for the period immediately following the previous board to 1 December 2022, however as mentioned in 4.1.3 above this period has been severely impacted by the Christmas closure. It is anticipated this this will recover quickly to continue an improving trend over the next few periods. 4.2.2 In relation to New Claims processed within 14 days of all information received, this measure is also below target for the period. 4.2.3 Processing of Changes in Circumstance (CIC) is outside of target for the reporting period due to a continued focus on the catch up of older cases. The temporary resource has been deployed to target this area specifically.
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(Supplementary processing information is attached in Appendix 2 for members’ reference) Table 1 – Performance Summary Performance measure 6 Week Reporting Period 02 December 2022 to 12 January 2023 Year to date position Annual Target New Claims – processing time 46 40 24 days New Claims - % processed within 14 days of all information received 65 74 92% Changes in Circumstance – processing time 39 13 10 days 4.3 Discretionary Housing Payments 4.3.1 The total budget for Discretionary Housing Payments for 2022/23 is shown in Table 2 below; this includes an additional amount of £300k allocated by the Council and £83.6k added from Flexible Funding for Financial Insecurity resources, which were provided to the Council by the Scottish Government. 4.3.2 Funding for DHP was previously provided to Local Authorities by the Department for Work and Pensions, following the new social security powers devolved to the Scottish Government (SG), DHP funding is now provided entirely by SG. The total budget is detailed in Table 2 below and shows the indicative spending spilt provided to the Council. 4.3.3 The DHP budget has been calculated to include the full Scottish Government estimate of the amount of funding required to fully mitigate the effect of the Bedroom Tax. This estimate includes a 20% reserve allocation, which will be paid in May 2023, if required. 4.3.4 In line with DHP Policy and DHP Regulations, the Service makes awards to fully mitigate the effect of the Bedroom Tax and maximise spend within the year. 4.3.5 Table 3 shows the performance information in relation to DHPs. The table shows that the average processing time in relation to DHP is within target. Table 2 – DHP Budget Funding – indicative allocations Amount Renfrewshire Council £300,000 Financial Insecurity Winter Funding £83,692 Financial Hardship (non-Benefit Cap) – Scottish Government £226,003 Financial Hardship (Benefit Cap) – Scottish Government £156,518
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Bedroom Tax* – Scottish Government £2,349,931 Total budget for the year £3,156,004 *This figure represents the maximum amount required to cover the estimated shortfall of customers impacted by the Bedroom Tax. Table 3 – DHP Performance Summary Measure 1 April 2022 to 28 December 2022 Volume of DHP applications received 4,811 applications Volume of DHP decisions made 4,618 decisions Number of DHP awards 4,362 awards Average processing time (target 29 days) 11 days Total amount committed/paid £2,560,526 4.4.1 The Scottish Welfare Fund 4.4.1 The Scottish Welfare Fund (SWF) provides a safety net for vulnerable people on low incomes through the provision of Community Care Grants and Crisis Grants. The Scottish Welfare Fund is a national scheme, underpinned by law and delivered on behalf of the Scottish Government by all local councils. The SWF replaced elements of the Social Fund abolished by the Department for Work and Pensions in 2013. 4.4.2 The Service makes awards in 2022/23 in line with Scottish Government guidance and had spent 61% of its total budget for the Scottish Welfare Fund (SWF) by the end of December 2022. 4.4.3 The total budget for the Scottish Welfare Fund for 2022/23 is shown in Table 4 below; this includes an additional amount of £500k allocated by the Council and £132,954 added from Flexible Funding for Financial Insecurity resources, which were provided to the Council by the Scottish Government. 4.4.4 The performance data relating to the Fund is presented in Table 4 below. The Service has processed Crisis Grants within target for the period, however due to an increased volume of Crisis applications, Community Care Grants were over target for the period. 4.4.5 From October 2020, the Scottish Government committed to providing a grant of £500 to individuals who are in receipt of low-income benefits and who lost income because they are required to self-isolate to prevent the spread of COVID-19. 4.4.6 The Scottish Welfare Fund was determined to be the legislative and delivery mechanism for Self-Isolation Support Grants (SISGs) in the form of Crisis Grants, as they are designed to provide occasional support to people facing immediate financial need which poses a risk to their health and wellbeing.
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4.4.7 Self-Isolation Support Grants closed with effect from 5 January 2023. The service will continue to accept applications, in line with Scottish Government guidance, for 28 calendar days from the day the claimant was advised to stay at home, provided they have booked a COVID-19 PCR test through the SISG Portal on or before 5 January 2023. Table 4 – SWF Performance Summary (Crisis & Community Care Grants) Measure 1 April 2022 to 28 December 2022 Number of Crisis Grant applications received 7,457 Number of Crisis Grant Awards 4,934 Total amount paid for Crisis Grants £517,595 Average Processing time (2 working days target) 2 days Average Processing time within December 2 days Number of Community Care Grant applications received 1,874 Number of Community Care Grant Awards 1,130 Total amount paid for Community Care Grant £637,719 Average processing time year to date (15 working days target) 12 days Average processing time within December 22 days Total amount paid/committed from the fund £1,155,314 Budget from Financial Insecurity Winter Funding £132,954 Budget from Council £500,000 Budget provided by Scottish Government £1,251,983 Total Budget £1,884,937 Table 5 – SWF Performance Summary (Self-Isolation Support Grants) (SISG) Measure 1 April 2022 to 28 December 2022 Number of SISG applications received 1,528 Number of SISG Awards 1,333 Average Processing time year to date (1 working day target) 3 days Average Processing time within December 3 days Total amount paid/committed from the fund £541,150 Budget provided by Scottish Government £541,150
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___________________________________________________________________ Implications of the Report 1. Financial - The level of collection of Local Taxation continues to provide funding for the delivery of Council services throughout Renfrewshire. 2. HR & Organisational Development – None. 3. Community/Council Planning – Our Renfrewshire is fair - An effective Benefits service is vital to the quality of life of many of our citizens as it provides vital support for low income households to sustain tenancies and meet their rent obligations. Working together to improve outcomes - An efficient and effective billing and administrative process for the collection of local taxes is vital for ensuring the recovery of income to the Council to support the provision of local services. This is supported by a range of payment opportunities for the public, including electronic and digital payments (e.g. Direct Debit, Website and Telephone). Working together to improve outcomes – Efficient and effective customer service is vital to ensuring that citizens have equality of access to Council services, whether this is digitally, by telephone or face to face. 4. Legal – None. 5. Property/Assets – None. 6. Information Technology – None. 7. Equality & Human Rights - The recommendations contained within this report in relation to performance updates has been considered in relation to its impact on equalities and human rights. No negative impacts on equality groups or potential for infringement of individuals’ human rights have been identified arising from the recommendations contained in the report because it is for consideration of performance only. 8. Health & Safety – None. 9. Procurement – None. 10. Risk – None. 11. Privacy Impact – None. 12. Cosla Policy Position – None. 13. Climate Risk – None. _________________________________________________________
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List of Background Papers None ___________________________________________________________________ Author: Emma Shields, Senior Service Delivery Manager (Financial Operations)
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Appendix 1 RENFREWSHIRE COUNCIL REVENUES COLLECTION STATEMENT AS AT 28 DECEMBER 2022 COUNCIL TAX 2021/22 2022/23 £m £m Projected Yield 98.307 100.788 Gross Charges 102.352 107.376 Less rebates 13.343 13.174 Net Charges Billed 89.009 94.203 Cash Collected 84.882 82.161 Rebate Grant 13.343 13.174 98.224 95.335 Cash collected as % of Net Charges 95.36% 87.22% Income as % of Projected Yield 99.92% 94.59% NON DOMESTIC RATES 2021/22 2022/23 £m £m Projected Yield 86.879 123.667 Gross Charges 145.569 148.215 Less reliefs 56.917 22.024 Net Charges Billed 88.652 126.190 Cash Collected 84.589 101.397 Cash collected as % of Net Charges 95.42% 80.35% Cash collected as % of Projected Yield 97.36% 81.99%
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Appendix 2 Business Services Performance Report Supplementary KPIs – Finance & Resources Policy Board APPEALS Where a claimant disputes a Benefits decision and also disputes a revision decision, they can formally make an Appeal. The Benefits Service will prepare a detailed submission which is then considered by the Independent Tribunals Service. Preparation of a submission is a very involved process and requires significant data gathering. Target processing speed (number of days) 60 Result: last 3 months (days) October: 236 days November: 214 December: 94 days Average (12 months to date) 101 days Average Appeals Completed 2 Appeals per month Comment:- Appeals volumes are very low, which is expected due to reducing Housing Benefit caseload. Monthly targets have been missed as older cases were processed. Additional temporary resource has been sourced to bring Appeals up to date before the end of the financial year. REVISIONS Where a claimant disputes a benefits decision in the first instance, they can request for it to be looked at again. This is known as a Revision. The process involves a Senior Benefit Assessor reviewing the decision thoroughly to decide whether the decision should stand. Target 28 days Result last report July 22: 63 August 22: 77 September 22: 81 Result Last 3 months October 22: 72 November 22: 91 December 22: 91 Comment:- The Service has missed target for revisions processing as a result of balancing workloads. Resources have been focussed on reducing the outstanding volume of Revisions and bring processing up to date before the end of the financial year. ACCURACY The Service proactively monitors the accuracy of benefits decisions made through a robust audit checking programme. The Service targets to audit a minimum of 4% of calculations. Target % Actual % Volume of Audits 2022/23 4% 39% Accuracy – December 2022 95% 77% Accuracy – 2022/23 95% 90% Comment:- The Service continues to analyse errors and action trends/patterns by providing additional guidance/training where needed. Targeted training has been undertaken following a dip in performance during December. The proportion checked this period reflects a higher volume of case cleansing reviews carried out on claims as a proportion of decisions made. Case cleansing reviews are triggered by longer processing times, so it is expected to be higher during this recovery period.
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Appendix 2 Business Services Performance Report Supplementary KPIs – Finance & Resources Policy Board HOUSING BENEFIT OVERPAYMENTS The service is responsible for raising overpayments where Housing Benefit has been paid in error. If these have resulted from errors made by claimants, the cost is partially funded by the DWP. The service attempts to recover both newly raised and historic debts from claimants or landlords as appropriate. Overpayments raised 2022/23 £972,039 Overpayments raised and recovered in year £314,408 % Recovery 32.35% All recovery in year £828,779 All recovery vs raised in year 85.26% All recovery vs all debt 10.13% Total debt outstanding at end of reporting period £7,348,982