LIBERATA is showing signs of turning around the huge benefit claims backlog at Swindon Council left by WS Atkins.

The Sheffield-based company in charge of council tax collection and housing benefits took over from Atkins last August.

So far it has cut the time it takes to process a new claim from 120 days to just over 60.

But it is still a long way from hitting the government's recommended target of 36 days.

Around 12,000 Swindon residents rely on Liberata to process their claims for housing benefit and council tax benefit.

The company also collects council tax.

It has compiled a report on its performance so far, which reveals its improvement in a number of areas.

WS Atkins had run the revenues and benefits service for three years and came under increasing criticism because of numerous blunders and a long claims backlog.

It agreed to sever its £2million-a-year contract with the council in August and the job was taken over by Liberata.

As well as cutting the claims backlog Liberata has managed to dramatically cut the number of people whose benefits were being needlessly cut off.

Benefits claims have to be renewed every 12 months but under WS Atkins 75 per cent of these were not being processed quickly enough, leading to benefits being stopped.

Under Liberata this figure has been cut to 20 per cent.

Swindon Council revenue services manager Ian Henery said: "Although things have improved we have still got a lot of work to do.

"Liberata have got more people in the service and we are paying them more money than we were Atkins.

"They are also more established in the market place and can draw on expertise from other sites.

"They have certainly improved things."

Liberata has similar contracts with councils in Croy-don, Bromley, Sheffield, North Somerset and South Oxford-shire.

The company's Swindon manager Paul Vaughan said: "We've recruited large numbers of extra staff there's 35 more people working on this contract.

"We've invested significantly in the people available to deal with Swindon residents' claims and queries.

"It's a combination of extra services, better organisation and using best practice from other areas."