Service standards for housing benefit

It also summarises our recent service performance figures.

Housing benefit service standards

• We process new benefit claims and make decisions in respect of backdating within ten working days of receiving all necessary information.

• We process notified changes in circumstances within five working days of receiving all necessary information.

• We respond to complaints within 10 working days.

• We process appeals within 28 working days.

Your feedback is important and helps us to make improvements to our services. You can give us your feedback in a number of ways:-

• use our online form for comments, complaints and compliments

• write to us at Your Feedback, Lewisham Council, Laurence House, London SE6 4RU. This is a FREEPOST address.

Service performance figures for 2019/20

• Average time to process a new claim is 9.64 days

• Average time to process a change to an existing claim is 3.69 days

• Target time to process new claims and changes is 7 days.

• Average time to process new claims and changes is 4.06 days.

Percentage of complaints processed within ten working days

• Target 2010–20: 90%

• Achieved: 96%