Public performance reports
Benefits and funding administration
The Council Plan Connect, outlines our outcomes for 2022-27. Connect Outcomes should not be seen in isolation, they interact with each other and as we achieve success in one, we move closer to success in others. In delivering our vision to ‘improve the lives and prospects of everyone in South Lanarkshire’ our outcomes show how our work links with our partners including our Community Planning Partners.
For daily updates, stories and what’s going on in your area, visit our information and news website South Lanarkshire View.
Each year we produce an Annual Performance Spotlights which summarise how we have performed in achieving our Connect Outcomes. To complement these we have created a suite of individual Public Performance Reports which focus on key areas of council business. This report outlines the performance of our Benefits And Funding Administration Service.
The council is responsible for the administration of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction:
- Housing Benefit is administered on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions and provides assistance with rented housing costs to those on low incomes.
- Council Tax Reduction (previously known as Council Tax Benefit) reduces the amount of Council Tax payable for those on low incomes.
Our performance in processing Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction is reviewed regularly by the Department of Work and Pensions, the Scottish Government and Audit Scotland.
Follow the link to our website for information on other Benefits available.
Benefits average processing time
Average processing time for new claims – Target 14 days
What this means
This indicator calculates how long we take, on average, to process a claim for Housing Benefit. We are measured on the average number of days taken to process a new claim for Housing Benefit.
Why this matters
It is important that the council process new claims for Housing Benefit timeously to ensure that customers are able to meet their rental obligations and sustain tenancies.
Our performance and how we compare
| Comparator | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | Are we improving? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SLC | 13 days | 12 days | 10 days | Yes |
| Scotland | 18 days | 20 days | 17 days | Yes |
How we have performed in improving this public service
The council achieved its target in 2023-24 of processing new claims, on average 4 days quicker than the target of 14 days.
Average processing time for changes of circumstances – Target 4 days
What this means
This indicator tells us how long we take, on average, to process a change in circumstances. We are measured on the average number of days to process a change of circumstances reported by an existing claimant.
Why this matters
It is important that the council processes changes which impact on customers’ Housing Benefit payments timeously to ensure that payments are accurate.
Our performance and how we compare
| Comparator | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | Are we improving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SLC | 2 days | 2 days | 2 days | Yes |
| Scotland | 5 days | 4 days | 3 days | Yes |
How we have performed in improving this public service
The council achieved its target for this indicator in 2023-24, on average 2 days quicker than the target of 4 days.
Cost of benefit administration
Gross administration cost per case – Target £35.00
What this means
This indicator measures the cost of processing a claim for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction per case and measures the gross cost of providing the service across a weighted caseload. Different types of claims have a different weight depending on the relative complexity of processing the case.
Why this matters
Although it is important to achieve improvements in benefit processing timescales, we have to demonstrate that we are working efficiently and minimising administrative costs.
Our performance and how we compare
| Comparator | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | Are we improving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SLC | £34.34 | £31.50 | £32.94 | No |
| Scotland | Not available | Not available | Not available | Not available |
How we have performed in improving this public service
The cost of processing benefits in 2023-24 increased by 5% when compared to 2022-23, primarily due to increased system costs.
Benefits Accuracy
Our accuracy in processing claims for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction was 95.8% in 2023-24, exceeding the target of 94.0%.
The Scottish Welfare Fund (SWF) was created to provide a safety net for people on low incomes. It is a national scheme that helps Scottish households in need. Awards from the Fund are discretionary and are made by individual local authorities.
The Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) Scheme is a government scheme administered by local authorities to provide people in financial hardship with assistance to meet housing costs.
The percentage of Scottish Welfare Fund (SWF) Budget Spent
What this means
The percentage of the budget set out for Scottish Welfare Fund that is spent at the year end.
Why this matters
This measure provides useful and timely insight on policy critical issues such as vulnerability, poverty and inequality and which will be increasingly important considering the cost of living crisis.
Our performance and how we compare
| Comparator | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | Are we improving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SLC | 181.6% | 168.4% | 131.8% | No |
| Scotland | 115.2% | 130.0% | 128.9% | No |
How we have performed in improving this public service
The decreased proportion of SWF expenditure in 2023-24 when compared to 2022-23 was due to the additional discretionary funding allocated by the Council to the SWF from the Local Authority Covid Economic Recovery (LACER) fund in 2022-23. This additional funding was not available in 2023/24 and therefore the SWF budget was substantially reduced.
Actions: The administration of the SWF will continue to be monitored closely and reported on a regular basis to ensure effective financial management of the fund.
The percentage of Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) Funding Spend
What this means
The percentage of DHP funding for the year that is spent at the year end.
Why this matters
This measure provides useful and timely insight on policy critical issues such as vulnerability, poverty and inequality and which will be increasingly important considering the cost of living crisis.
Our performance and how we compare
| Comparator | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | Are we improving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SLC | 101.8% | 104.8% | 109.0% | Yes |
| Scotland | 95.9% | 94.4% | 101.0% | Yes |
How we have performed in improving this public service
South Lanarkshire continues to spend the budget it receives with performance well above the Scottish average.
Actions: The administration of DHP funding will continue to be monitored closely and reported on a regular basis to ensure effective financial management of the fund.
Follow the links to our website for further information about services and how to access them:
- Benefits
- Benefits available
- Housing benefit and council tax reduction application
- Universal credit guide
- Crisis and community care grants
- Discretionary housing payment (DHP)
Information on national performance for speed of processing is available on the UK Government web page, Housing Benefit: statistics on speed of processing
Everyone is aware of the changes to benefits as a result of Government changes to the Welfare reform system. The council is working closely with the Department for Work and Pensions in the rollout of the changes and has a dedicated “Benefits are changing tenant liaison team” to help tenants cope with the changes.
Resource Plans are prepared each year by all council Resources to outline the key developments they intend to take forward in the year. Performance and actions relating to Benefits and funding administration can be found in the Finance and Corporate Resource Plan.
Twice a year, performance reports are presented to council committees on progress against the Resource Plans. In addition, reports detailing progress against the Council Plan Connect Outcomes are prepared. See Quarter 2 (September) and Quarter 4 (March - year end) performance reports for further information.
More information on our outcomes can be found in the Council Plan Connect and also the Annual Performance Spotlights.
Local Government Benchmarking Framework (LGBF) allows councils to work together, to use performance information in a way which will help understand variations, share knowledge, expertise and good practice, with a view to making improvements. For more information and links relating to this framework go to the 'Benchmarking' paragraph on the Improvement and how we compare page on our website.
The information contained within this report reflects the position based on the data available at the time of publication (March 2025).
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