BASILDON Council has slashed hundreds of thousands of pounds off the cost of running its revenues and benefits service.

The authority has saved more than £350,000 a year following a shake-up in the way it hands out council and housing tax benefits.

The savings have come after the council swapped filling in benefit forms for collecting the information from a phone call to the applicant.

Council officers also now visit residents’ homes to collect vital documents, such as bank statements, instead of waiting for them to be sent in.

This means any missing or incorrect information can be dealt with on the day.

Benefit claims will also now be dealt with by one council officer from start to finish.

As a result of the changes, the amount of time it takes council officials to deal with new housing and council tax benefit claims has plunged from 19 days to 12 days since the start of the financial year.

Phil Turner, Basildon Council’s cabinet member for resources, said: “We have revolutionised our benefits service by borrowing efficiency saving ideas from the manufacturing industry.

“In these tough economic times, taxpayers want to know more than ever their money is being well spent.”