West Northamptonshire Council’s journey to a unified revenues and benefits system with MRI Software

Council re-organisation sparks transformation

In April 2021, as part of a major local government reorganisation, three former councils – South Northamptonshire, Daventry, and Northampton – merged to form West Northamptonshire Council (WNC). This unification presented not only opportunities for better service delivery but also a significant operational challenge: each predecessor authority had been using different systems for their revenues and benefits functions. To deliver consistent and efficient citizen and community services, WNC needed to consolidate these disparate platforms into a single, unified system, within a fixed timescale. With strong internal leadership and a trusted technology partner in MRI Software, WNC successfully undertook one of the most complex IT and service transformations in its history.

Choosing the right path: Why MRI Software?

WNC approached the transformation strategically, conducting a comprehensive options appraisal to assess both systems in use.

“We did a really thorough options appraisal,” said Belinda Green, Assistant Director of Revenues and Benefits at WNC. “MRI came out by far the strongest – exactly what we wanted to see, because two of our three areas were already using the platform.” This wasn’t a simple decision made for convenience. The council carried out due diligence, looking at everything from module offerings to the possibility of future managed services. “We explored it all – scalable modules, support, flexibility, futureproofing,” Belinda added. “We knew Northampton was the largest area, and aligning the system was essential not just for operational consistency, but for staff and customer experience.” The result was a direct award to MRI Software, following robust internal procurement governance.

Project scope: Aligning three into one

The first part of the migration was structured into two phases: 1. Phase One (2023): Convert Northampton’s Housing Benefit and Council Tax data from prior system to MRI in time for annual billing. 2. Phase Two (2024): Merge all three legacy systems into a single West Northamptonshire-wide MRI instance, deployed on a new server. Dave Young, leading the technical delivery at MRI, recalls the complexity:

This was a multifaceted, time-critical project. We were handling large volumes of data, particularly from Northampton, and had to ensure the unified system would be ready for peak demand like annual billing.

The project went live in September 2024, on time and within budget.

It was a massive achievement, the Northampton database was huge. But we did it on schedule, on budget, and to spec. That speaks volumes about the partnership.

– Belinda Green.

Real results: Dramatic improvements in performance metrics

Since going live, WNC has seen a transformation in performance across several key service areas:

• New Housing Benefit (HB) claims: HB processing time dropped from a pre-migration average of 56.2 days to just 17.5 days – a 69% reduction, smashing the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) target of 30 days.
• Housing Benefit change in circumstances (CIC): Although processing time initially rose post-go-live, WNC quickly brought this figure down to an average CIC processing time of 1.45 days, far exceeding their own target of 8 days.
• Housing Benefit workload backlog: The council reduced outstanding tasks by over 50% within six months of go-live – from 4,425 down to 2,000.
• Council Tax collection: Despite the significant distraction of a major migration project, WNC achieved a 96.3% collection rate, and are confident in surpassing this in future as the system and system users embed.
• Non-Domestic Rates (Business Rates): Outstanding cases dropped dramatically from 1,800 in September to just 539 by February—a 70% reduction—and WNC hit the government’s Business Rates collection target of 98%.

As Belinda said:

We’re absolutely thrilled with the performance gains. To cut new claim times to 17.5 days and clear over half of our backlog in six months is phenomenal. The system is not just fit-for-purpose—it’s helping us deliver better, faster services.

Collaboration and flexibility key to success

A cornerstone of the project’s success was the collaborative working relationship between WNC and MRI Software. “We held planning workshops, mapped out the entire project on a whiteboard, and adjusted based on our circumstances,” said Dave Young. “No cookie-cutter solution – just tailored delivery.” Belinda echoed this sentiment: “The team even came on site and rolled up their sleeves. That kind of support has been consistent across the board – it’s what makes MRI such a valuable partner.” Louise Webb, who worked alongside Belinda on the migration, noted the flexibility and learning built into each phase. “Every phase brought new challenges and skills. The support and transparency MRI offered helped us grow our own internal capacity, which was essential to the smooth rollout.”

One Council, one unified vision, with a future-ready revenues and benefits service

With a unified platform now in place, West Northamptonshire Council has a stable, scalable foundation to build on. The council is already seeing operational efficiencies, improved resident outcomes, and higher team morale. Phase three and four of the project will see WNC move to a cloud-hosted environment with considerations into MRI managed services to free up internal teams to focus on strategic priorities.

“We’ve lived and breathed this project”, said Belinda. “And I can honestly say the outcome has been first class. MRI delivered more than software—they delivered a partnership, and the results speak for themselves.”

As WNC continues to embed and evolve its services post-merger, the new system stands as a clear example of what well-executed digital transformation can achieve in local government. With further local government re-organisation on the horizon, MRI stands in good stead to be the partner of choice for newly forming unitary councils – trusted, proven and equipped to deliver complex change with confidence and support.