The following customer standards have been set following consultation with customers and landlords who were surveyed.
We aim to meet the following standards of service:
- to assess new claims within 18 calendar days of the benefits service receiving your application (this should be less if you give us all the information we need with your claim form)
- to assess 90% of all new claims within 14 days of receiving all the information required to assess your application.
- to assess reported changes of circumstances within 12 calendar days
- to ensure that staff who process claims have a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of benefits legislation that is kept up to date
- to carry out revisions (look at your claim again where you disagree with the assessment) and appeals within 26 calendar days
- to ensure that all decision letters/notifications comply with the housing benefit, council tax support and decision and appeal regulations
- to process claims for discretionary housing payments within 25 days of receipt
- to refer claims that are identified as potentially fraudulent to the audit and investigation team within 48 hours
- to make welfare visits within seven days of the request
Our performance in 2013/14
The benefits service’s priority is to pay customers the right benefit at the right time. Shown below are details of our results for the financial year 2013/14.
- Average time to process new claims and changes of circumstances - 11.4 days
- Average time to process new claims - 19.9 days
- Average time to process change of circumstances - 10.2 days
- Average time to process discretionary housing payment applications - 24 days
- Average time to process revision/appeal requests - 27.58 days
The times shown above are in calendar days.
If you would like to comment on our standards you can write to us at:
Benefits Service, Ealing Council, and PO BOX 32251, London W5 5XA
or complete the enquiry form