You Said - We Did

Notification letters are difficult to understand

We write and attach covering letters where there are a lot of notification letters or there are complicated calculations or overpayments
We check all letters before they are sent
We highlight the benefit period and the benefit award on the majority of letters sent
We attach relevant leaflets where they will provide additional assistance or information

Too many pages of notification letters are sent

We check all pages of letters produced and only send those that have to be sent.
We staple together all letters that relate to the same period

Self Employed claims are difficult to make

We redesigned and simplified the self employed claim form
We trained all staff on how to deal with self employed claims
We review all self employed claims on a regular basis (as a minimum annually)

We have to provide the same evidence to more than one Department

We liaise with all Departments to try to obtain evidence before we contact you
We trained staff to only request evidence from customers when it is not available from another source or Department

We should not request evidence in a letter 2 weeks after the form is submitted

This should only occur when we have a backlog of work. We give application forms priority and attempt to request evidence required as soon as the form is received

Make the claim form easier to understand

We review the form on an annual basis. We recognise that the form can be difficult to understand. We therefore now offer assistance with completing the form via telephone, interview at City Offices, home visit or appointment at our local office held weekly in Bishops Waltham

Documentation sometimes has to be provided more than once. Excess documentation is sometimes requested

Training on what evidence is required and acceptable is now provided to all staff on an annual basis

Call additional staff to reception when it is busy

We ensure that 2 members of staff are available every day to provide assistance to the Customer Advisors when they are busy

Telephone or email rather than write where possible

All staff have been advised to telephone customers where a telephone number is available.
Application form has been updated to capture customers email addresses
Application form has been updated to capture how customers would like to be contacted

There is no privacy at reception

There are private interview rooms available for customers and these are now advertised on all forms and leaflets and on the website

We don't publicise local office and Visiting Officer

Letters have been updated to include a paragraph about the availability of a Visiting Officer
The team have been asked to check the personal circumstances of customers and to offer a home visit where they think it is appropriate
A mailshot was sent to all customers living near to the local office in Bishops Waltham
These services are advertised on the website

We don't publicise the website

The website address is now on all letters, leaflets, emails and claim forms

We should process claims for benefit quicker

In the last 4 years we have reduced the time it takes to process a claim for benefit from an average of 25 days to an average of 15 days

We should process changes in circumstances quicker

In the last 4 years we have reduced the time it takes to process a change in circumstances from an average of 16 days to an average of 5 days

Why are claims that are submitted with all evidence not processed quicker

We have introduced a Fast Track scheme. If you bring to the City Offices your completed claim form and all evidence required we will process your claim within a maximum of 3 days

Further Information

The service that we provide to our customers is very important to us and we would welcome your views on any areas that you think we could improve further. Please send your views to us at benefits@winchester.gov.uk