Written question asked by Derek Wyatt (Labour) on Monday, 8 September 2003, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 18 September 2003. It was answered by Chris Pond (Labour) on Thursday, 18 September 2003 on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.

Dept for Work and Pensions

Question: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will list the local authorities which are six months or more behind paying housing benefit; and how many local authorities who are six months or more behind payment use Capita and their software package Academy.

Answer: Mr. Wyatt: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the local authorities which are six months or more behind paying Housing Benefit; and how many local authorities who are six months or more behind payment use Capita and their software package Academy. [129172] Mr. Pond: I have been asked to reply. We collect average processing times, by local authority, for Housing Benefit claims. The data provided by local authorities for the year ended 31 March 2003, and published on the our Housing Benefit website, www.dwp.gov.uk/housing benefit, shows that on average no local authority took longer than six months to process new claims. Average processing times for local authorities whose Housing Benefit administration is contracted out to Capita and who use Academy software, range from 26 days to 131 days. Actual clearance times for individual cases within the average are not collected centrally.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 129172; 410 c965W;410 c963W
Session: 2002-03
Subjects: Software Administrative delays Housing benefit Local government Capita
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk