A Benefits Administration Conference – Monday 23rd June 2008 

The Challenges Facing Local Authority Benefit Administration 2008 

Monday 23rd June 2008

Local Government House, Smith Square, Westminster SW1 

The morning programme

Peter de la Mothe, HB Info

Session 1: The National Review of Pay and Grading
Following on from the 1997 Single Status Agreement and the 2004 National Pay Agreement local authorities are obliged to undertake local pay reviews which will provide the framework for the development of pay and grading arrangements within the context of single status. This will have far-reaching consequences for local authorities. This session will look the effects on staff morale, retention of staff, local structures and the impact on service delivery.

Speaker to be confirmed 

Trevor Oliver, Revenues and Benefits Group Manager, South Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council

This session will examine whether the changes in the administration grant reflect the
administration of benefit and how this will impact on the service. The session will examine the focus on efficiency savings that go alongside the reduction in grant and whether the objectives for funding the service could work in practice.

Bill Hern, Deputy Head of Local Authority Performance Division, Department for Work & Pensions

Speaker to be confirmed

The afternoon programme

The transformation agenda and development and extension of shared services and collaborative working are key considerations for benefit and revenue managers. This session will look at these in-depth and examine how shared services and transformation can be successful. The session will examine shared services in action and the results and challenges of collaborative working. 

Tim Delany, Head of Revenues and Benefits, Central Sussex Partnership (CenSus)

Malcolm Gardner, Head of Benefits and Revenues, The Impact Partnership, Rochdale

This session will provide an examination of the future for welfare benefits. It will look at the main benefit proposals in the Welfare Reform Green Paper and some of the key implications of these including the new Employment and Support Allowance and Pathways to Work. The session will provide a view on central government’s objectives for welfare benefits and how these are likely to alter the benefits system in the future. Local authorities will need to be aware of changes that will impact on the benefits service and the role of authorities in the welfare benefits system.

Child Poverty Action Group

Many local authorities are introducing innovative methods to provide levels of excellence in benefits customer services. These include partnerships with the private sector, multi-agency approaches, one-stop shops and extended opening hours. Certain innovative approaches have involved joining up processes across sectors and organisations. This address will highlight these good practice examples and examine how they enhance a customer-focused benefit administration.

Speaker to be confirmed

Peter de la Mothe, HB Info