Welsh council reduces claims backlog

Gwynedd Council improves its benefit claims efficiency

Gwynedd Council is improving customer service to its 60,000 households using enterprise content management software.

The system establishes a single repository for benefits claimants' records across the council’s three different offices and links them with the organisation’s core system.

The council handles up to 11,000 claims at a time, all of which are filed and authorised manually, which can cause delays .

In the past residents enquiring about the progress of a claim were often frustrated because the paperwork was not always easy to locate says Mark Hughes, revenues and benefits systems officer.

‘An ongoing claim might be on someone’s desk, rather than filed - leading to delays,’ said Hughes.

‘Additionally, given the sheer amount of ongoing cases, claims could often be difficult to keep track of, leading to frustration for both the claimant and the member of staff dealing with their query,’ he said.

The content management system, provided by Open Text, allows staff to access case information instantly from any site increasing efficiency.

The new system electronically manages the storage and retrieval of all documentation to improve workflow across the three administrative centres. Benefits include instant access to information which has improved customer service, improved workflow and reduced the number of outstanding claims.

Other benefits include the ability to produce management reports and monitor individual staff performance.