Q. Your plans to improve service delivery such as the One initiative are front loaded. Are you confident that you have the resources to see the project through? Will you be evaluating benefit take-up? Will any targets set be challenging and realistic?

A. The pilot offices are working better in NI than nationally. HMT were persuaded that the system needed investment and we believe that the indicative funding will be sufficient to resource the initiative properly. We would appreciate your support to help ensure we retain this funding. There may also, in due course, be some capacity for rationalisation due to improvements in IT. Benefit take-up has traditionally never been measured but figures for the pilot exercise should be available in 2002/2003. We have built independent evaluation into our plans and we will keep the Committee informed of the outcome. Targets have been modest to date and we intend to set more radical targets for example it should take considerably less than the current target of 6 weeks to process a DLA claim and income support accuracy levels should be in the mid 90's % not the current figure of 88%.

Q. Will we see an improvement in standards commensurate with the increase in resources?

A. Yes.

Q. Is it not correct that significant amounts of mail go missing in Castle Court which holds up payments? Should there not be a tracking system? At a recent PAC meeting you stated that you were aiming for a 1% improvement per year in accuracy levels but this will take 7 years to reach acceptable levels. My concern with the One initiative centres on people on incapacity benefit. How will the scheme affect them?

A. From October next year all mail will be scanned onto the computer system and this will solve the problem you have outlined. We want to improve accuracy rates quickly. I agree 1% is not ambitious and we intend to set more challenging targets. It will be compulsory for people on incapacity benefits to attend work focused interviews but it will not be compulsory for them to look for work.

Q. Is this about getting people off incapacity benefits and into work?

A. Most definitely not.

Q. Will advisers be properly trained?

A. Yes.

Q. When can we see facts and figures so we can make comparisons? Areas differ - should you not target the worst areas? Is it not the case that some areas experience staff shortage? With the onset of the One initiative will the Agency accept responsibility if advisers fail to advise claimants properly and full entitlements not received?

A. Facts and figures will be included in the Agency Annual Report that will be issued in approximately 2 months time. Figures can be broken down to local level and we will make these available to the Committee. We will be happy to come back to the Committee in the Autumn to report on progress. We have increased staff by 15% and we have reduced temporary/casual staff by 50%. The key theme of service improvements is to get information to people. The Agency would accept responsibility if people are not properly and fully advised and do not get their full entitlement.

Q. Have you got a current business plan?

A. We will send it within the week.

Social Development Minutes 5 April 2001