Council Tax, Benefits & Business Rates Services

Concepts

• swindon
• administration, defence and social security
• benefit services
• temporary disablement benefits
• council tax
• the council tax service
• swindon borough council
• council tax, benefits & business rates services
• none swindon borough council
• tax

Location

Swindon

Description

To enhance and modernise the Council Services administering the billing, collection and recovery of Council Tax from over 99,000 households and Business Rates from approximately 5,800 businesses. Including calculating discounts, exemptions, rate reliefs and Business Improvement District charges in accordance with legislation and Council policies. Determine applications for Housing Benefits, Discretionary Housing Payments and Council Tax Support from new claimants and administering and amending the claims of 12,200 existing claimants when their circumstance change or when reviews are required. Invoicing and recovery of Over payments of Housing Benefit commencing 1 April 2023 and expiring 31 March 2033. Swindon Borough Council intends to modify the contract to implement an incentive scheme with the current supplier to enable the employment of additional resources with the aim of increasing the collection of council tax arrears that are in excess of 3 years old. The modification to run from 1 September 2024 to 31 March 2026.

Ammendments to Previous Notice

Award Detail

CPV Codes

• 75000000 - Administration, defence and social security services
• 75310000 - Benefit services
• 75313100 - Temporary disablement benefits

Indicators

• Contract modified due to additional needs.

Legal Justification

Liberata UK limited are already collecting Council Tax from many of the customers for the current financial year and three previous years and it is likely that they will have already been in contact with customers in relation to outstanding debts. The transfer of the contract would result in significant inconvenience and duplication of costs if there was a change of contractor. The authority would have to deal with two organisations undertaking the same or similar work.If the work was separated, Members of the public with arrears would be pursued by two different entities at the same time for Council Tax, leading to confusion and potential hardship.