Things have yet to get any better for Nottingham's Housing and Council Tax Benefit claimants. Latest figures for the third quarter (i.e. Oct - Dec 2011, click for the Excel file) show little to no improvement in speed of processing since I looked at their second quarter stats.
Nottingham remains the second worst in Great Britain for processing new claims, although the average time taken has decreased slightly from 60 days to 59. Way to go NCC.
Things aren't quite as bad for the average time taken to process changes in circumstances where NCC is only the 5th worst in the country with 33 days, a slight improvement on the previous quarter's 36.
This demonstrates an ongoing issue of worsening service when you haven't got the Audit Commission popping in every year and awarding you stars leading to nice headlines in the paper.
As mentioned before, NCC recently threw a pile of money at the problem and brought in a team of private agency staff at a time when it is supposedly committed to reducing temp and agency staff (see para 1.3 of this report). This won't show up until the first quarter of next year I'd guess as the agency staff are being hired for 12 weeks (i.e. a quarter) and I suspect it is being timed to ensure that the figures for the first quarter of the financial year show the maximum possible improvement in case Lisa Black is summoned to some inconvenient committee or other to explain why her service is so shit.
Friday, 27 April 2012
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Interesting fact. This goes along way to explain problems I have had in the past and I am currently experiencing.
What do we know of Dale Mellor the benefits investigation officer? Gives you an idea of the route I have been dragged down and railroaded through the courts and now at tribunal.
It would be interesting to know how much of a brown nosing git, sorry investigator is as I was subjected to an investigation that I felt was abit unusual in as far as Dales comment to asking him when he was informed, I believe by the Exit notice the DWP issued but all he said was "He became aware" which is no answer at all and why I believe that my situation was completely engineered because they found out I was working for NCC and despite being told I was entitled to benefits as it was a government scheme, it turns out now that the benefits rug has been pulled and now all evidence seems to point to me not being eligible despite being told by Ingeus, NCC HR and the induction meeting that was chaired by Jane Todds righ hand woman, everyone said we got benefits and other benefits as well.
I now seems that everyone involved has back tracked on what they verbally said, shored up their defenses and are staying silent whilst I get rogered for £3,000 of overpayment including pay which they are with holding.
I went to work to make me better off and not NCC. Seems you have a grievance and you tackle it via a councilor, as I was experiencing, NCH notice seeking possession, folloerd by an overpayment demand, each complaint was met with some excuse to bury me in debt and I feel that it was an intentional manipulation and abuse of powers because I stumbled on to something. Well I filed my ET1 yesterday after the last star, my line manager and senior admin basically ignoring my requests to be paid and to have copies of my time sheets which will prove that they had them and sent them to payroll and it is payroll that are the problem here and we all know which councilor that falls under don't we.
I don't think that I will be given a fair tribunal, Its too much money to pass up and especially when they go and add 40% on top just for the excuse.
I would say more on this but for the fear of reprisals which I might add I have already had 2 rounds of.
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