21 May 1999
Research on how councils manage housing benefit payments and council tax collection found many high-cost councils putting greater emphasis on take-up of benefits and verification checks. Yet, these councils were also more efficient and accurate with payments.
The government should not consider low-spending councils more efficient, according to the academics, who also questioned the use of performance indicators to assess effectiveness and efficiency.
Different financial accounting practices in local government make comparing data difficult and unreliable, according to the research, which was commissioned by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions.
PFmay1999
