Our service standards

We make every effort to meet the needs and expectations of our customers whenever possible, and we welcome your feedback on the service we provide. Our primary aim is to pay housing and/or council tax benefit as quickly as possible to those who qualify, and to widely promote the availability of benefits to encourage take up.  

You can expect the following standards to be met when you deal with us:

  • customers will be greeted promptly in a polite and courteous manner
  • we aim to deal with requests for service with the minimum inconvenience to the customer
  • all matters will be treated fairly, sensitively and in confidence, with due regard for minorities and customers with special needs
  • telephones will be attended during office hours. Voicemail will be used only to ensure that calls do not go unanswered, and any messages will be responded to within one working day or the next working day if the message is left over a weekend or bank holiday
  • all feedback from our customers will be welcomed
  • all correspondence by post, fax or hand delivery will be responded to within ten working days*
  • all emails, and enquiries using the online Report it! tool, will be responded to within two working days*
  • in our responses to written correspondence (including email and web) or verbal enquiries, if we cannot provide a full answer immediately, we will tell you the steps to be taken and provide a realistic timetable
  • in all of our communications we will use plain, jargon free language and will include a contact name, phone number and email address
  • we will publish the standards we work to and how we perform against them
  • we will make information on our services widely available including our opening times, contact names, telephone numbers, email addresses and emergency contact details

*written requests for information held by the council, considered to be made under the Freedom of Information Act, will be dealt with in 20 working days.

If you are unhappy with the service we have provided, please contact us. If you are unhappy with our initial response, we have a corporate complaints procedure.