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Benefit Take
Up Campaign
We recently sent you a
letter to invite you to a meeting to discuss how we can work together to increase
Benefit Take Up.
With your help we hope to:
- Reduce rent and council tax
arrears
- Reduce poverty
- Maximise income
- Improve the quality of life
for Winchester district citizens
If you are interested in
attending this meeting, please complete and return the reply slip that
accompanied the original letter. As soon as we know who is interested
in attending this meeting we will contact you again with further details.
Alternatively, if you
would like to contact us about our take up campaign or you would like another
letter to be sent to you please email the Benefit Team Leaders on bteamleaders@winchester.gov.uk or telephone 01962 848495.
What's
new with Housing and Council Tax Benefit?
- Child maintenance payments
have been disregarded in full since October 2008.
- Child Benefit payments will
be disregarded in full from 2nd November
2009.
All current Housing and Council Tax Benefit claims which include Child
Benefit payments will be recalculated and notification letters will be
sent to all affected customers.
- Pension age customers
currently have the first £6000 of their capital disregarded. From 2nd November 2009 this will increase so that the first £10,000 is
disregarded. We will continue to assume an income of £1 for every
£500 or part thereafter.
The Housing and Council
Tax Benefit scheme is becoming more generous which means that more customers
will now qualify for help. If you are aware of any customer that may now be
entitled to Housing and/or Council Tax Benefit because of these changes
please encourage them to apply.
Telling
Us About Changes in Circumstances
If you become aware of a
change in a customers circumstances please encourage them to tell us about
them within one month of the change happening.
Some
relevant changes:
- Children leave home or
school
- Anyone moves in or out of the
home
- Household income changes
- Household capital or savings
change
- Rent changes
- Move house
Contacting
us:
- Email - benefits@winchester.gov.uk
- Telephone - 01962
848539
- Fax - 01962 848200
- Write - The Benefits Section,
City Offices, Colebrook Street,
Winchester, Hants SO23 9LJ
- Visit - City Offices: Monday
- Thursday 8.45am to 5pm, Friday - 8.45am
to 4.30pm
Performance
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Year
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Number of days to process new
claims
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Number of days to process change of
circumstances
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Actual
performance 2007/08
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16.4
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7.49
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Actual
performance 2008/09
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15.33
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6.32
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2009/10
Target
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15.5
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6.5
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Actual
performance 2009/10 (1st quarter)
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17.74
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7.02
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Getting claims
in the fast lane
We operate a scheme to pay Housing and/or Council Tax Benefit quicker for
those customers who bring a completed application form to the office. A
completed application form means:
- Completing the Housing and
Council Tax Benefit application form answering ALL questions.
- Providing original documents
and proof of identity
- Providing proof of income and
savings for everyone living in the household over 18 years of age
If all of the above is
provided at the City Offices, at the same time, a decision on the claim will
be made within 3 working days.
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