The initial register, which was based on the rates register for owned houses, contained many irregularities from supplementary data sources such as housing benefit recipients.
Evidence from a significant number of housing benefit offices demonstrates that local, face-to-face processing of benefits is cheaper and faster than distant automated telephone and online processing.
These services include: leisure, environmental health, housing -- including the provision of social housing and housing benefit and rubbish collection.
Councils also receive grants to fund housing benefit payments, but a number portray this, in their council tax marketing, as if it was part of their general income.
