Insights archive
27 October 2025 The Independent Revenues and Benefits (R&B) Discussion Group gathered for another lively Monday session chaired by Malcolm Gardner, who began on a light note from “sunny Yorkshire” before steering conversation into…
Read articleIndependent R&B Monday Discussion Group – 20 October 2025 The latest Independent R&B discussion opened with Malcolm Gardner wryly noting that the week’s agenda looked like “a bit of a hodgepodge”—ranging from procurement headaches…
Read articleIt was a damp Yorkshire morning when Malcolm Gardner opened the latest Independent Revenues & Benefits Monday Discussion Group, musing that his wife had suggested mowing the grass in the drizzle — a comment…
Read articleAt the latest Independent R&B Monday Discussion Group, chaired by Malcolm Gardner, members took a deep dive into the stubborn issue of unclaimed benefits, the challenges of Universal Credit, and the shifting dynamics of…
Read articleThe Independent Revenues & Benefits Monday Discussion Group was back on 8 September, with Malcolm Gardner welcoming everyone after the summer break. Smiles all round, though the mood paused for a moment as Malcolm…
Read article1 September 2025 We’re on our summer pause, so instead of a live session this week we’ve shared the second mid-break slide pack. It’s a chance to catch up on what’s happening across revenues…
Read articleThere is no session this week as the summer break continues on the meantime here is a summary of what has been happening over the last two weeks. The group will return on Monday…
Read articleThe Independent Revenues & Benefits Discussion Group met on 21 July 2025 to reflect on two significant developments: the proposed council tax exemption for terminally ill residents and the government’s investment in local service…
Read articleRevenues and Benefits Discussion Group 7 July 2024 At the latest meeting of the Independent Revenues & Benefits (R&B) Group, members grappled with a familiar but still unresolved dilemma: how to reconcile the administrative…
Read articleBy Paul Howarth Councils across England face an increasingly complex set of challenges as they seek to manage their council tax reduction (CTR) schemes. Alongside financial pressures and the final stages of Universal Credit…
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