Housing Benefit was being run reasonably well when it was being administered by the former Northampton Borough Council with joint working and shared resources in an arrangement with Milton Keynes . That all changed under West Northamptonshire, a new head of service formerly from South Northants was parachuted in, who appointed her clique of friends as line managers, they thought they knew best and ended the partnership arrangement, were totally against homeworking and p'd off all the staff. As a result nearly all the staff voted with their feet and moved to better Councils elsewhere , so they lost all the good experienced staff , came onto the radar of the DWP as performance was so bad, joint worse out of the whole country in terms of the average number of day to process new Housing Benefit claims - over 2 months whereas nationally it is more like 23 days.
This is also a potential problem across the country with “supported housing crisis” and with Myshon in north Northants with support adding Up to £200 on top of the rents with very little support being provided. And very little move on step up accommodation available
Housing Benefit was being run reasonably well when it was being administered by the former Northampton Borough Council with joint working and shared resources in an arrangement with Milton Keynes . That all changed under West Northamptonshire, a new head of service formerly from South Northants was parachuted in, who appointed her clique of friends as line managers, they thought they knew best and ended the partnership arrangement, were totally against homeworking and p'd off all the staff. As a result nearly all the staff voted with their feet and moved to better Councils elsewhere , so they lost all the good experienced staff , came onto the radar of the DWP as performance was so bad, joint worse out of the whole country in terms of the average number of day to process new Housing Benefit claims - over 2 months whereas nationally it is more like 23 days.
This is also a potential problem across the country with “supported housing crisis” and with Myshon in north Northants with support adding Up to £200 on top of the rents with very little support being provided. And very little move on step up accommodation available
And we all know why there is a shortage of move on step up accommodation available, it is arrving daily on to the Kent coast.
You were doing so well up to this point.
Another one who doesn't like uncomfortable truths being pointed out then
I’d be interested to know how you know so much about the Housing Benefit machinations at WNC.