We understand the pressure many councils are under to run targeted Pension Credit campaigns before the 21st of December. We’d love to offer our support to make it easier and more efficient for Visionary Network to identify pension-age residents missing out on Pension Credit and Winter Fuel Payments. We’re offering a free data analysis of your…
Category: Administration
The Impending End of the Household Support Fund: A Crisis for Families on Low Incomes and Local Economies
As the UK grapples with the economic aftershocks of the COVID-19 pandemic, rising inflation, and a turbulent global economy, the impending end of the Household Support Fund (HSF) presents a looming crisis for families on low incomes and local economies across the country. The £820 million hardship scheme, administered by local councils, has been a…
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 High-Income Parental Penalty: Navigating the Tax System’s Cliff Edge
In the landscape of Britain’s tax system, a stark financial challenge confronts working parents earning above £100,000. This demographic, according to economic experts, faces an “abomination” of financial penalties that starkly contradicts the principle of rewarding work. The root of this dilemma? A series of policy decisions that strip away vital financial supports—such as free…
Monday Discussion Group 11/3/24: Budget 2024 Key Elements for Revenues and Benefits– Visionary Network
Last Monday, we discussed key elements from the 2024 budget announcement and how they may impact Local Authorities, specifically the Revenues and Benefits departments. Paul Howarth provided an excellent summary, which you can find in the recording, and there is additional information in the slide pack, plus links to key documents on our website. My…
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…
5/2/25 Monday Discussion Group: Councils Financial Crisis and the Knock On Effects
In our Monday chat, we dove into how the financial troubles facing local councils are also troubling for organizations like charities that depend on council funds. We talked about how this situation might lead more people who usually get help from these charities to seek help directly from the council. We also touched on the…
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,…