Blackpool Council

Summary of Submission

Blackpool Council’s MHCLG-funded Supported Housing Improvement Programme (SHIP) is a four-year initiative improving standards across 152 schemes supporting over 600 residents. Working with Housing Benefit, Planning, Enforcement, Fraud, Adult Services, and Housing Options, SHIP team review and challenges claims while raising accommodation and support quality.

A gatekeeping process approved only 1 speculative enquiry in 4 years. The Housing Benefit team manages 4,442 HB & CTR claims, 13,556 CTR-only cases, and 740 HB-only cases, including 437 for supported housing. Achievements include 500+ rent/service charge reviews, training reducing processing times from 200 to 10 hours, 70+ joint inspections, 300+ planning checks, and auditing 600+ support plans.

In 2024–25 alone, the programme prevented £1,390,455.40 in subsidy loss and delivered £480,000+ in Housing Benefit savings—ensuring better homes, stronger safeguards, and exceptional value for Blackpool.

Liberata and Swindon Borough Council

Summary of Submission

Since onboarding Swindon Borough Councils benefits service in April 2023 the Liberata team has transformed delivery through innovation, automation, and a customer-first approach. The highly experienced and skilled team have introduced bespoke CloudTools, AI-driven interactions, Risk Based Verification, and advanced robotic process automation—resulting in 75% of benefits transactions being automated over the last year.

Performance has been exceptional: new claims processed in 12.55 days (vs 20-day national average), 98.5% paid within 14 days, and changes processed in 2.95 days (vs 7-day national average). The team also recovered £1.7m in housing benefit overpayments and allocated all (Plus an additional top up) of their Discretionary Housing Payments funding.

Their “First Steps” programme provides one-to-one financial support for residents in Council Tax arrears, with 1,231 customers already engaged. Combining speed, accuracy, and compassionate support, the team has set a benchmark for digital transformation and public service excellence.

London Borough of Waltham Forest

Summary of Submission

The London Borough of Waltham Forest’s Benefits Team has demonstrated exceptional resilience and innovation in the face of significant organisational and financial challenges. Despite leadership changes and increasing demands, the team maintained strong performance while taking on new responsibilities, including Sundry Debtors and Financial Assessments, generating over £11.5 million in income and clearing a two-year complaints backlog.

The team successfully implemented a new Council Tax Support scheme within 6 months an achievement that typically requires 18, while managing complex system changes and stakeholder engagement.

Additionally, they played a key role in “Operation Dragon,” a major fraud investigation involving over 148 properties, preventing an estimated £2.2 million in fraudulent payments.

Throughout, the team has shown adaptability, strategic thinking, and a commitment to service excellence. Their achievements reflect a deep understanding of community needs and a proactive approach to delivering fair, efficient, and responsive benefits services.

Wigan Council

Summary of Submission

Wigan Council’s Income Maximisation Team has embedded data-driven insights into daily operations to support the borough’s most vulnerable residents. Initially launched as a pilot, the proven success of this approach and its monumental impact on residents has led to its expansion into a business-as-usual model. The team utilise powerful datasets to identify residents with low financial resilience and limited benefit uptake, targeting support through community-based events in partnership with organisations like Citizens Advice and Age UK.

Expert, compassionate advisors provide tailored support to help residents access unclaimed benefits and financial assistance. Over the past two years, the team has hosted more than 500 locality based events and secured over 6,000 awards, resulting in over £10 million additional income being secured for local residents. Their innovative alignment of Welfare, Benefits, and Collection services ensures the maximum level of support is provided at the first point of contact via whole system approach. This transformational work makes Wigan Council’s Income Maximisation Team a truly inspiring and highly deserving finalist for the Welfare Reform Team of the Year.