§ 27. Mr. DismoreTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent assessment he has made of the service provided to ethnic minority communities by social security offices. [472]
§ Mr. WicksThe Benefits Agency holds both an annual benefits forum and an annual ethnic minority forum. These present an opportunity for representatives of ethnic minority groups to address any problem areas. As a result of the last ethnic minority forum, held in February 2001, the Benefits Agency policy on provision of interpreting and translation services is being reviewed.
The Benefits Agency is committed to providing a service, which is fair and accessible to all members of the community. Local managers are responsible for ensuring that the level of service is of an acceptable standard. This commitment is also stated in the Customer Charter, which was published in November 1999. The standards in the Customer Charter are measured annually by a range of 35W internal checks and customer satisfaction surveys. An analysis of the results informs service improvement action plans. All complaints received by the Agency are recorded and the data analysed centrally. The monthly reports produced are also used to inform service improvement plans.