Major systems upgrade at WNC to 'streamline services for residents'

West Northamptonshire Council is implementing a software upgrade that will replace the Council's multiple legacy Revenue and Benefits systems with a single, modern platform designed to streamline operations and improve the online experience for residents when interacting with the Council. The upgrade will be rolled out in stages with residents within the Northampton area being the first to experience the changes.

As the Council implements the new software the Revenue and Benefits systems for the Northampton area will be temporarily unavailable from Thursday, 14 December 2023 through Tuesday, 9 January 2024.

During the upgrade, residents will be unable to access the customer portal and online forms. Throughout this period residents will be able to make Council Tax and Business Rates payments as usual.

For residents with ongoing benefits claims and regular payments, these will continue unaffected. However, new claims and notifications of change submitted from Wednesday, 13 December will be assessed after the upgrade is complete.

While Customer Service Agents will still be available to support residents, their access to information will be limited. Residents are encouraged to only contact us for urgent matters during this time.

Cllr Mike Hallam, Cabinet Member for Corporate Services and HR, said:

"We aim to provide an efficient, user-friendly experience for our residents and businesses. The upgrade of our Revenue and Benefits system for the Northampton area is an important step forward in modernising our systems to better serve our residents.

"We appreciate everyone's understanding and cooperation as we work towards enhancing our services for the benefit of the West Northamptonshire community."