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If you are a journalist wanting to contact North Norfolk District Council for information or comment, please call Peter Battrick, Communications Manager, on 01263 516344. You can also email media@north-norfolk.gov.uk

The team also produces the quarterly Outlook magazine for North Norfolk residents, as well as meeting the council's in-house design and branding business needs.

Council moves to more efficient revenues and benefits service

10 May 2012

North Norfolk District Council’s (NNDC) move to provide a more efficient and effective Revenues and Benefits Service for customers across the District will take a major step forward today (Thursday 10 May) with the start of the installation of a new computer system. The installation period is expected to last for nearly three weeks.

NNDC and the Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk (BCKLWN) agreed last year to develop the capability to share their revenues and benefits and associated customer services, a partnership model that is estimated will jointly save £500k per year for the two councils. The new system, which will go live in North Norfolk at the end of May and in BCKLWN in July, is intended to enable the councils to process new benefits claims and changes in circumstance more quickly and to allow enhanced electronic access for customers to their accounts. It will also be much better able than the old system to incorporate the forthcoming changes to council tax and benefits processes recently announced by the government.

Throughout the installation period there will be a reduced service for NNDC council tax, business rates and benefits customers. For three weeks, until the new system goes live at the end of May, no notified changes of circumstances or new claims for housing benefit will be processed. All existing benefits arrangements will be paid as per normal and council tax and business rates payments will be collected as agreed. New claims received during the period will be processed within six to eight weeks and any associated payments will be backdated.

NNDC Leader Helen Eales said, “We don’t like to offer a reduced revenues and benefits service, even for a short period, and I apologise to anyone who is inconvenienced. In the short term it is unfortunately unavoidable as we install the new computer system. However, the long-term benefits that this will bring to customers in a more efficient, effective and resilient service, and to the council, and therefore council tax payers, in savings, are immense.”

ENDS