Folkestone & Hythe District Council

Summary of Submission

We have incorporated the front facing service into the team allowing the Council to manage customer flow via the telephone and digital routes; additional cross training is allowing staff to offer resolutions at first contact rather than message taking, aiming to reduce the overall workload into the back-office environment. This has been delivered by maintaining high performance levels whilst delivering core services and supporting residents with additional schemes which includes food, clothing, bedding, carpets, beds, white goods, boiler replacement/servicing, oil/gas support for off grid homes and smaller energy efficient items.

We have supported the mobile pantry and attend events and agencies throughout the district. We have targeted groups for support using communications, advertising and data intelligence to utilise our resources effectively, allowing us to support the uptake of our schemes as well as Pension Credits and Parish grants whilst offering a holistic approach to support via our partnership with ReachOut.

North Norfolk District Council

Summary of Submission

North Norfolk District Council’s Benefits Team may be small, but our impact is exceptional. We support one of England’s oldest populations, where our speed and innovation has led to an average 3-day new claim processing time, far ahead of national and regional averages.

Through team engagement and compassion, we’ve:

• Secured £4.7 million in total income for our residents since 2023
• Automated a large volume of Universal Credit changes, freeing staff for complex support
• Transitioned fully to online claims and reviews
• Simplified our Council Tax Support scheme for fairness and accessibility

We deliver fast, targeted support through the Household Support Fund and welfare schemes -working with Housing and Early Help & Prevention to safeguard the most vulnerable.

Looking ahead, we’ll boost benefit and social tariff take-up, connect financial and health data to deliver even more joined-up, person-centred support — continuing our work to reduce hardship and improve financial resilience across North Norfolk.

Staffordshire Moorlands District Council and High Peak Borough Council

Summary of Submission

The Alliance of Staffordshire Moorlands and High Peak has been transforming Benefits Services across borders with its unique cross-county partnership, achieving high performance and ranking in the top 3  for processing Housing Benefit new claims in Q3 24/25.

Our dedicated and proactive team work with over 100 partners driving continuous improvement to support our residents and protect vulnerable groups. Our banding scheme is generous, and we strive to maintain this.

Our user-friendly portal streamlines access where users can:

• Apply for benefits
• Report changes
• Upload evidence
• Update details
• Check entitlements and much more

We’ve built an integrated service model across Benefits and Customer Services, featuring:

• Dedicated benefit phone lines
• Daily triaged workflows tailored to benefit streams
• A customer-first collaboration culture that innovates to deliver high-quality and valued customer service

We work with the DWP’s Performance Development Team to identify opportunities to improve customer outcomes, drive performance and ensure continuous improvement.