Monday 14 Apr 2008 @ 11:22
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Shropshire citizens to benefit from transformed revenues and benefits service
Citizens across Shropshire will see significant improvements due to a transformation in housing benefit and council tax services, designed to radically improve benefits take-up for the area’s most vulnerable communities and reach out to those who may be missing out on their entitlement.
Northgate Information Solutions, a leading provider of innovative services to the public sector and utilities markets, will revolutionise revenues and benefits services for Shropshire’s 300,000 citizens by providing easier access to the support that they need. The new initiative will ensure that citizens’ entitlements are delivered quickly and effectively, improve service delivery, and streamline the management and reporting of housing benefits, council tax and business rates.
Under a seven-year agreement, Shropshire citizens will benefit from:
- the use of self-service systems, enabling people to make full applications online and send in the evidence that is required to assess claims;
- a faster benefits assessment process, through enabling staff to conduct assessments in people’s homes;
- faster and more efficient responses to enquiries, with staff able to view customer status and transaction history in detail and answer questions quickly and accurately;
- the use of mobile and SMS services to better reach out to the community and target those most in need.
Shropshire County Council together with the district and borough councils of Oswestry, Shrewsbury & Atcham, Bridgnorth, South Shropshire and North Shropshire are to form a single unitary council named Shropshire Council in April 2009. The introduction of an efficient and effective revenues and benefits service across the county will form part of the council’s overall improvement strategy.
Laura Rowley, Director of Resources at Shropshire County Council, said today: “We are committed to providing the public with excellent local services and delivering better lives for citizens across the county. It is essential that all members of the community are able to access the benefits that they need, and staff equipped with the tools to deliver proactive and citizen-centred services. The delivery of first class revenues and benefits services will better enable the take up of benefits amongst those who are often hard to reach. This is a key element of Shropshire’s wider transformation programme to provide local services that the public deserves.”
Joe Bradley, Managing Director of Local Government & Social Housing at Northgate Public Services, added: “Accessing benefits information can be a complex process for many citizens and take-up of council tax and housing benefit is often poor. Northgate is proud to provide Shropshire citizens with an effective and sustainable revenues and benefits service that drastically reduces the administrative burden for those making a claim. We will strive to support Shropshire Council as an exemplar authority capable of sharing services with other councils and delivering its vision of excellence for all citizens, especially those in the most vulnerable communities.”
For more information:
Fellows’ Associates:
Naomi Stevenson 020 7849 3508; 07966 890403; nstevenson@fellowsassociates.com
Kuntal Biswas 020 7849 3347; 07930 566291; kbiswas@fellowsassociates.com
Notes to Editors:
1. Northgate Information Solutions is a leading provider of innovative services to the public sector and utilities markets. Northgate’s task is to enhance public value through the intelligent use of people and technology, and to share in the economic and social benefits that this brings.
2. In the UK, the company works with four out of five local authorities and every police force. Northgate supports public service transformation through sustainable performance partnerships. Its technology is used in the administration of more than £12 billion of revenues and benefits; in electoral administration systems covering 18 million people; to support the national system for reporting police performance; and in the management of over three million local authority and housing association properties worldwide. Founded in 1969, the company has over 6,500 employees.
Northgate Information Solutions, a leading provider of innovative services to the public sector and utilities markets, will revolutionise revenues and benefits services for Shropshire’s 300,000 citizens by providing easier access to the support that they need. The new initiative will ensure that citizens’ entitlements are delivered quickly and effectively, improve service delivery, and streamline the management and reporting of housing benefits, council tax and business rates.
Under a seven-year agreement, Shropshire citizens will benefit from:
- the use of self-service systems, enabling people to make full applications online and send in the evidence that is required to assess claims;
- a faster benefits assessment process, through enabling staff to conduct assessments in people’s homes;
- faster and more efficient responses to enquiries, with staff able to view customer status and transaction history in detail and answer questions quickly and accurately;
- the use of mobile and SMS services to better reach out to the community and target those most in need.
Shropshire County Council together with the district and borough councils of Oswestry, Shrewsbury & Atcham, Bridgnorth, South Shropshire and North Shropshire are to form a single unitary council named Shropshire Council in April 2009. The introduction of an efficient and effective revenues and benefits service across the county will form part of the council’s overall improvement strategy.
Laura Rowley, Director of Resources at Shropshire County Council, said today: “We are committed to providing the public with excellent local services and delivering better lives for citizens across the county. It is essential that all members of the community are able to access the benefits that they need, and staff equipped with the tools to deliver proactive and citizen-centred services. The delivery of first class revenues and benefits services will better enable the take up of benefits amongst those who are often hard to reach. This is a key element of Shropshire’s wider transformation programme to provide local services that the public deserves.”
Joe Bradley, Managing Director of Local Government & Social Housing at Northgate Public Services, added: “Accessing benefits information can be a complex process for many citizens and take-up of council tax and housing benefit is often poor. Northgate is proud to provide Shropshire citizens with an effective and sustainable revenues and benefits service that drastically reduces the administrative burden for those making a claim. We will strive to support Shropshire Council as an exemplar authority capable of sharing services with other councils and delivering its vision of excellence for all citizens, especially those in the most vulnerable communities.”
For more information:
Fellows’ Associates:
Naomi Stevenson 020 7849 3508; 07966 890403; nstevenson@fellowsassociates.com
Kuntal Biswas 020 7849 3347; 07930 566291; kbiswas@fellowsassociates.com
Notes to Editors:
1. Northgate Information Solutions is a leading provider of innovative services to the public sector and utilities markets. Northgate’s task is to enhance public value through the intelligent use of people and technology, and to share in the economic and social benefits that this brings.
2. In the UK, the company works with four out of five local authorities and every police force. Northgate supports public service transformation through sustainable performance partnerships. Its technology is used in the administration of more than £12 billion of revenues and benefits; in electoral administration systems covering 18 million people; to support the national system for reporting police performance; and in the management of over three million local authority and housing association properties worldwide. Founded in 1969, the company has over 6,500 employees.
