The Leicestershire Partnership Revenues & Benefits Joint Committee met on Thursday 25 June 2026, discussing financial performance, audit reports, and service delivery. Key discussions included the proposed performance indicators for the upcoming year and the proposed meeting schedule.

Financial Performance

The committee received an update on the partnership's financial performance for the period 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026. Ashley Wilson, Assistant Director of Finance and Audit, reported an overall net underspend of £126,808 for the financial year. This underspend was primarily attributed to employee vacancies, with employee costs being £170,000 below budget. The report also detailed the reserves position, which had increased to £765,748. A future decision is to be made regarding the allocation of these reserves, potentially involving an investment in a GovTech system for web management and access processes, or a return of some reserves. Councillor P King highlighted the need for a decision on the reserves to be made promptly, ideally by September, before the Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) takes effect. Concerns were raised about the ongoing vacancies and how essential work was being covered, with officers explaining a mix of agency staff and existing staff undertaking overtime. The issue of recruitment difficulties was also noted as a recurring problem contributing to the underspend.

Internal Audit Final Report

The committee received the internal audit final report for Council Tax Support and National Non-Domestic Rates (NNDR) for the 2025/2026 period. Ashley Wilson presented the report, which gave a Substantial Opinion, the highest level of assurance, indicating no significant issues or weaknesses. There were three low-risk recommendations, none of which raised significant concerns for the internal auditors. The report identified areas for improvement, including a variance between the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) schedule and CAPITA property records, a lack of regular review and monitoring of discounts, exemptions, and reliefs, and the absence of documented procedures for Council Tax Support (CTS), refunds, valuations, and discounts/reliefs. Management provided comments and agreed actions for each finding, with most low-priority recommendations due for implementation by October 2026.

Performance Report

Sally O'Hanlon, Head of Revenues and Benefits Partnership, presented the performance report for March 2026. The report indicated that while targets for processing changes in circumstances were met, the targets for new claims were not achieved across all three authorities. However, the partnership's performance remained strong compared to Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) targets. The report also detailed challenges in Council Tax and Business Rates collection, with targets not being met due to wider national affordability pressures affecting households and businesses. A specific issue at Harborough District Council (HDC) regarding the delayed posting of payments in March significantly impacted its collection figures. The report also touched upon the introduction of the Crisis and Resilience Fund, which the partnership is administering the housing payment element of.

Councillor P King raised concerns about the low number of fraud sanctions, which was discussed further. Sally O'Hanlon stated that the number of prosecutions might not be the most effective measure and that the focus should be on having the infrastructure in place to investigate and take action. She committed to providing more detail on fraud work in a future report. Councillor Phillip King also highlighted the significant arrears and the need to understand the work being done to collect this money, particularly in light of LGR.

Performance Indicators 2026-2027

The committee considered the performance indicators for the financial year 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027. The proposed targets were presented alongside the 2025/26 outturn. Councillor Phillip King proposed an amendment to the Council Tax collection target for Harborough, increasing it from 98.1% to 98.5%, which was seconded and carried. The committee then approved the performance indicators as amended.

Schedule of Meetings

The committee noted the proposed schedule of meetings for the 2026/27 civic year. Meetings are planned to be held quarterly on Thursdays at 3:30 pm, rotating around the partnership authorities. The next meeting was scheduled for 24 September 2026 in Hinckley.

Forward Plan

The committee noted the forward plan for the joint committee, which included upcoming reports on financial performance, performance reports, internal audit findings, and budget setting. The outcome of the Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) was also anticipated to be a significant topic for future discussions. The committee agreed to include reports on arrears and fraud in the forward plan for September.