Summary of the Independent Revenues & Benefits Discussion Group – 14 July 2025 At the most recent Independent Revenues & Benefits (R&B) Discussion Group, chaired by Malcolm Gardner, local government professionals gave a sobering assessment of the sector’s current state. With escalating financial deficits, an ageing and shrinking workforce, and new pressures from political reforms,…
Category: ICT & support products
Independent R&B Discussion Group: Spending Review Analysis
The latest meeting of the Independent R&B Discussion Group, chaired by Malcolm Gardner, convened to discuss the recent Spending Review and its implications across government departments, local authorities, and welfare provision. The session included detailed contributions from a range of experts: Paul Howarth, Gareth Morgan, Alex Clegg, Rachael Walker, Sean O’Sullivan, Robert Fox, and Bob…
Reform UK’s “Department of National Efficiency”: A High-Stakes Gamble in Local Government Reform
Malcolm Gardner June 2025 Reform UK’s newly launched “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) is pitched as a radical instrument to root out waste, overhaul council finances, and deploy tech-led solutions to chronic inefficiencies. Inspired by the controversial U.S. DOGE initiative under Elon Musk, the UK version aims to deliver rapid savings through forensic audits, AI…
Lessons for Revenue and Benefits Services on the Use of Data: Insights from the National Data Guardian’s Warning
The effective use of data is fundamental to the operations of any public service, including revenue and benefits services. However, the way data is described and managed is just as crucial as the data itself. Drawing lessons from the National Data Guardian for Health and Social Care, Dr Nicola Byrne’s recent warnings about the misuse…
Economic Challenges and AI Opportunities for Local Government
Difficult Inheritance: Navigating Weak Growth and High Debt The new government steps into an economic quagmire marked by weak growth, high taxes, and a government debt that has tripled since 2007. Public spending is teetering on the brink of crisis with deteriorating public services adding to the urgency. Fiscal pressures are mounting due to an…
Risk Warning: Confidential Data and Intellectual Property Vulnerabilities Due to Generative AI Systems
Attention is drawn to the emerging and substantial risk associated with the inadvertent mining of confidential data and proprietary intellectual property stored within SharePoint by generative AI systems, including but not limited to ChatGPT and Copilot technologies. Generative AI systems, designed to optimize data processing and content generation, possess the capability to access, analyse, and…
The Role of Ascendant Solutions and Smarter Demo in Local Government
Ascendant Solutions: Richard Handy’s discussion highlighted how local councils are leveraging Ascendant’s products to streamline processes for applications for support, grants, and services. The mention of a “data lake” used by Barnsley is particularly noteworthy. Data lakes allow for the storage of vast amounts of raw data in its native format. This approach enables councils…
Automation and AI 2024 Season: GovTech on Automation & Visionary network on Co-Pilots
We kicked off our Automation and AI for Revenues and Benefits 2004 series with a fantastic talk on automation by GovTech’s Graeme Maychell and Malcolm Gardner from Visionary Network’s Co-Pilots team, with Kevin Stewart hosting the session. Graeme shared how automation can help councils manage their resources better, save money, and get things done faster,…
Reforming Council Tax Reduction Schemes
The Government didn’t make life easy for local authorities when council tax reduction schemes were introduced in 2013. Local authorities were not given much time to prepare the way, so it was unsurprising that most schemes followed the default regulations and ended up very similar to Council Tax Benefit. Local authorities in England were also…
How we are working with Local Authorities to improve welfare service delivery
Manu Peleteiro Co-founder at Inbest Local Authorities play a pivotal role in administering benefits, emergency grants, and vital welfare services. They are at the forefront of supporting their vulnerable residents during the Cost-of-Living crisis – and now the looming mortgage crisis. However, ensuring all residents receive their rightful entitlements presents the following challenges: Consequently, a staggering…