Mid Sussex District Council and the software platform TellJO have won a national technology award for the support they provide for vulnerable residents.

The Credit & Collections Technology Awards recognise technological innovation within the industry and this year Mid Sussex District Council and TellJO have been announced as winners of the Vulnerable Customer Identification and Screening category.

When residents miss a Council Tax payment, it can be an early indication that something is wrong. Mid Sussex District Council introduced the TellJO system to help identify vulnerable people who could be facing financial difficulties, poor health or other social problems. TellJO enables the Council to automatically send out email and text messages to ask if the resident is OK and find out what difficulties they might be facing. By identifying people who are at risk early, the Council can signpost them to support and help them to improve their circumstances. The TellJO system has been a huge success, helping over 75% of respondents to request new payment arrangements and providing 46% with immediate debt advice. The support provided by the service has enabled the Council to help residents with a range of complex issues, and this has led to a Credit & Collections Technology Award 2021.