CIVIC bosses are urging more people to go online with their home-visiting staff.
A scheme, aimed at bringing the benefits service closer to people's homes, is to feature a charity incentive to encourage more people to join up.
With every new claim completed by Hartlepool Borough Council's mobile benefits team, £5 will be donat
ed to charity as part of a three-month pilot scheme.
The plan promises there will be no more application forms to fill in, or queues to wait in for claimants wanting to know if they are eligible for benefits.
The council's wireless benefit service allows an officer to complete an electronic application for housing and council tax benefit in the home of the claimant.
That person will then be told on the spot what their benefit entitlement is before the officer leaves their house.
The mobile team aims to improve the service to the customer, reduce the number of days it takes the council to process claims and also reduce administration costs.
The pilot scheme runs from Tuesday, April 1, to Monday, June 30, this year.
For every new completed claim, the £5 council donation will be split between the Nurse and a Half Appeal, which is Mayor Stuart Drummond's nominated charity, and Epilepsy Outlook, which is chairman of the council, Coun Carl Richardson's, nominated charity.
The initiative was discussed at a finance and efficiency portfolio meeting.
Portfolio holder, Coun Robbie Payne, said: "It is a brilliant scheme.
The people of Hartlepool get the benefits team to come in to their own homes and two charities will benefit from it as a result.
"The scheme is win, win all round for everyone.
"The council are going to carry out a three-month trial of the charity incentive and hopefully if the people of Hartlepool are encouraged to join up, then it will continue for as long as possible. The mobile benefits team will help speed up the administrative process and everyone should benefit from it."
Coun Payne approved the £5 incentive scheme and also asked for the players and management team of Hartlepool United to be invited to help promote the scheme.
To organise a visit from the mobile benefits team call (01429) 284188 or email benefits@hartlepool.gov.uk
The full article contains 381 words and appears in n/a newspaper.
