| Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Jan | Feb | Mar | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Incoming appeals | 3,893 | 4,357 | 4,651 | 4,594 | 4,924 | 5,073 | 4,371 | 4,396 | 3,206 | 3,371 | 2,521 | 4,610 |
| Outgoing processed appeals | 2,850 | 3,572 | 2,745 | 2,747 | 2,791 | 2,798 | 2,766 | 2,957 | 1,847 | 1,959 | 3,808 | 5,234 |
| Outstanding | 1,859 | 244 | 903 | 337 | 426 | 303 | 143 | 119 | 412 | 883 | 804 | 555 |
The Penalty Charge Notice and appeals team have improved their backlog from 1,859 cases in April 2022 to 555 cases in March 2023, a 70% improvement that moved us from an 8 to 9-week turnaround, to a 7 - 10 days response time. This has resulted in a 30% reduction in customer contact which allows the team to respond to customer contact form enquiries the same day.
The new Penalty Charge Notice IT system provides clear evidence of the circumstances of the case through the customer interface, including all related photos and videos. This allows drivers an opportunity to examine why the ticket was issued and make an informed decision whether to settle or challenge the penalty without needing to contact the service. This allows the team to focus on dealing with appeals, reducing call backs and enquiries via the council’s contact system.
The team has also created a robust vulnerability policy that has now been approved at committee. This provides a framework for staff to be able to manage contact from those who are experiencing financial or mental health issues. This includes appropriate signposting to support services, debt charities and the governments Breathing Space initiative.