Housing benefit and council tax benefit decisions

Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council did not have the information requested.

Dear Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council,

I would like to request the following information:

1, the number of housing benefit and council tax benefit decisions taken over the last four years by an outsourced provider/contractor and the identity of that provider/contractor

2 the number of checks undertaken by the council of outsourced housing benefit and council tax benefit decisions over the last four years. Such checks are required under the Contracting Out (Functions of Local Authorities: Income-Related Benefits) Order 2002, rule 4.

3, the proportion of checked decisions that were considered by the council to be erroneous

4, the efforts made by outsourced providers to prevent such errors from
recurring

5, the number of mandatory reconsiderations lodged against housing benefit and council tax benefit decisions for each of the last four years

6, the number of mandatory reconsiderations in favour of the individual claimant

7, the identity of the body undertaking such mandatory reconsiderations, ie the council or an outsourced provider and, if the latter, the identity of that outsourced provider.

Thank you.

Yours faithfully,

Robert Thomas

Data Protection, Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council

Thank you for your email. 

Your enquiry has been given the reference number 8832.  Please quote this in all future correspondence with regard to this enquiry.

We aim to respond fully to all emails from the public as soon as possible, where they are seeking a response. 

If you are requesting information under the Freedom of Information Act or environmental Information Regulations, there is a 20 working day statutory timescale within which to provide the information requested, subject to any exemptions which may apply.  The 20 working day timescale will start on the first working day following receipt of your email.

If you have access to the Internet you may wish to see if your enquiry can be dealt with online at www.trafford.gov.uk.  The council's website enables many forms to be completed and payments to be made online, as well as providing comprehensive information.

Thank you
Trafford Council

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Data Protection, Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council

Dear Mr Thomas

Thank you for your email of the 10 December 2019 where you requested information about housing benefit and council tax benefit decisions.

The information you requested is as follows.
  
1, the number of housing benefit and council tax benefit decisions taken over the last four years by an outsourced provider/contractor and the identity of that provider/contractor

None

2 the number of checks undertaken by the council of outsourced housing benefit and council tax benefit decisions over the last four years. Such checks are required under the Contracting Out (Functions of Local Authorities: Income-Related Benefits) Order 2002, rule 4.

N/A

3, the proportion of checked decisions that were considered by the council to be erroneous

N/A

4, the efforts made by outsourced providers to prevent such errors from recurring

N/A

5, the number of mandatory reconsiderations lodged against housing benefit and council tax benefit decisions for each of the last four years

N/A

6, the number of mandatory reconsiderations in favour of the individual claimant

N/A

7, the identity of the body undertaking such mandatory reconsiderations, ie the council or an outsourced provider and, if the latter, the identity of that outsourced provider.

N/A
If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request, you have the right to ask for an internal review. Internal review requests should be submitted within two months of the date of receipt of the response to your original letter and should be addressed to: Information Governance Manager, Trafford Council, Town Hall, Talbot Road StretfordM33 0TH or via email to [Trafford Council request email]  

Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF

The supply of information in response to a freedom of information request does not confer an automatic right to re-use the information.  Under UK copyright law you can use any information supplied for the purposes of private study and non-commercial research without requiring permission.  Similarly, information supplied can also be re-used for the purposes of news reporting. An exception to this is photographs.
For other forms of re-use, for example publishing the information, you would need the permission of the organisation or person who owns the copyright.  In the case of information produced by government departments and agencies you can re-use the information under the Open Government Licence.  For information about this please see http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/o...
If, however, the copyright is identified as belonging to somebody else, you will need to apply for permission.  For information about how to obtain permission from a third party, please go to Intellectual Property Office’s website at www.ipo.gov.uk

Yours sincerely,

Information Governance
Legal Services | Trafford Council | Trafford Town Hall | Talbot Road | Stretford | M32 0TH
Email: [email address]

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