17 July 2007
A recent Scrutiny Review of the Benefits Service has identified good examples of performance as well as a number of areas where improvements are either planned or underway. The review started during last summer and covered all areas of the department’s work, particularly focusing on the customers who use the service.
Chairman of Scrutiny Committee, Councillor Graham Marsden, said: “The Council’s Benefit Service deserves to be congratulated upon its performance in challenging benefit fraud. Its excellent standard is well above the national average plus it provides good value for money for Council tax payers in Eastbourne.”
The report specifically highlighted that Eastbourne Borough Council is performing above the national average in countering benefit fraud. Furthermore, Eastbourne is achieving this while employing less than half the national average of Investigators thereby providing a service which is also good value for money.
Successful sanctions per investigator employed 2005/06
- National Average 15
- Eastbourne Borough Council 28
Successful sanctions per 1,000 caseloads 2005/06
- National Average 3.6
- Eastbourne Borough Council 4.3
Investigators employed per 1,000 caseloads 2005/06
- National Average 0.33
- Eastbourne Borough Council 0.15
The report also identified a range of benefit security performance indicators against which Eastbourne is graded 4 or ‘Excellent’.
