The Department for Work and Pensions has launched an Internet-based campaign to help councils slash the cost of providing housing and council tax benefits.
It follows confirmation that central government grant allocated to councils to administer benefits for 2008/09 will be £528.3m – resulting in a 5% reduction compared with last year.
With the grant reduction in mind, DWP officials have created an information hub designed to cut the cost of councils benefits administration throughout the current Spending Review period.
But the DWP has also confirmed it has scrapped a fund offering financial support for specific benefits improvements.
The website includes guidance to help councils ‘decide what action to take to reduce costs, and deliver their HB/CTB services efficiently and effectively'.
Initially, the programme will focus on two aspects of administration:
Although it has scrapped the fund for specific projects, the DWP will continue to invest in national improvements through the Performance Standards Fund, which has helped authorities introduce improvements such as electronic claims forms and performance-management software.
