Award-winning shared council service celebrates 10th anniversary

The revenues and benefits team receiving their award in 2018.

LiNK, as the team is known, was formed on June 1, 2011.

It operates from Sleaford, Lincoln and North Hykeham, but also outreach surgeries and home visits.

In the past 10 years, LiNK has:

* Paid out housing benefit of more than £400 million.

* Paid out discretionary housing payment of more than £2.7 million.

* Issued 1.7 million bills to residents and businesses

* Significantly improved first time accuracy of housing benefit claims assessed to well over 90 per cent.

* Handled the charging for council tax and applied discounts and support payments to ensure people can access the benefits to which they are entitled.

* Won the Excellence in Partnership Working award from the Institute of Revenues Rating and Valuation in 2018.

Leader of North Kesteven District Council Coun Richard Wright said: “The team’s focus has always been on high standards of customer service, performance and efficiency and they have also been involved in a number of successful strategic projects relating to anti-poverty, employment and skills.

“LiNK has been one of many services that have been at the heart of the Covid-19 response over the last 15 months and will undoubtedly be part of the recovery to come as the team works with increased numbers of benefit claims, awarding new reliefs to businesses and makes realistic payment arrangements with taxpayers.

“The list just goes on and on because the staff will also be giving welfare and benefits advice, making self-isolation support and winter grant scheme payments as well as dealing with huge areas including council tax hardship and discretionary housing payments.”