Average Actual Clearance Time (AACT) target - timely processing of benefit claims

Target: To process customer claims for benefit within an Average Actual Clearance Time (AACT) for Incapacity Benefit, Income Support and Jobseeker's Allowance.

What is the target?

The purpose of this target is to help us focus on a key aspect of our customer service - to deal with people's benefit claims within a reasonable length of time.

We aim to process customer claims for benefit within an Average Actual Clearance Time (AACT) for Incapacity Benefit, Income Support and Jobseeker's Allowance.

How does it work?

The Average Actual Clearance Time target measures how many working days, on average, we take to process claims for benefit.

Claims for IS, IB and JSA are processed in different ways. To take account of these differences the target has three separate average clearance times.

• Incapacity Benefit (IB) - 18 days
• Income Support (IS) - 11 days
• Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) - 12 days

These three elements make up the AACT target. The average clearance time for each of the 3 elements must be achieved to meet the target.

Jobcentre Plus aims to pay the right benefits to the right people at the right time. In April 2006 a new target was introduced to measure Average Actual Clearance Times for Income Support, Incapacity Benefit and Jobseeker Allowance.

Jobcentre Plus has recognised the rising trend in Benefit New Claims Actual Average Clearance Time performance that began prior to the introduction of the target, and has started to make improvements (Average Actual Clearance Time Target latest data).

Following pilots operated in North Lincolnshire and Central London, Jobcentre Plus will roll-out changes to its operating model to improve customer service and speed up the claims process. Changes will be introduced nationally, including:

• a freephone number for customers in preference to an 0845 service,
• a single call to the contact centre for the majority of customers and,
• more effective menu options on telephones to direct customers to the right service and reduce inappropriate calls.

National level AACT data is updated each month.

Latest National monthly data

District level AACT data is updated each month.

Latest District data