Case Study: Durham County Council achieves £342,000 additional revenue by removing incorrect Single Person Discounts with Civica

A Single Person Discount review adds £342,000 to Durham County Council's coffers

Durham County Council, responsible for around a quarter of a million Council Tax properties with roughly a third eligible for Single Person Discount (SPD), faced the challenge of recovering unjustified SPDs to maximise income amid ongoing budget pressures. With internal teams stretched by a restructure and having used a third party previously, the council engaged Civica — specifically its Civica OnDemand SPD team — using a risk-and-reward commercial model to run a targeted review without upfront financial risk.

Civica OnDemand reviewed 45,678 accounts receiving SPD but no other benefits, identified 6,018 high‑risk cases for closer investigation, issued confirmation requests, removed unverified SPDs and managed all communications and system updates from secure premises so council staff had no extra work. Over a 14‑week project Civica removed 1,438 SPDs (3.15% of the total), generating £342,000 in additional revenue after fees, with no reported incorrect removals.

Durham County Council

Cate Blackburn

Assessment and Awards Manager