Croydon's cash has been proven to be in good hands with the council's finance team shortlisted for a national award in the local government equivalent of the Oscars.

The council is one of only three in the whole country, and the only London borough, to be shortlisted for the Finance Team of the Year Award.

The panel of judges for this latest award was particularly impressed with the improvement in housing benefits and council tax performance over the past two years. Achievements include: slashing the cost benefit admin by £435,000; a new visiting service for vulnerable claimants; halving the time taken to process benefit claims and reducing waiting times at public counters to less than 15 minutes.

January 29, 2003 13:00