A ROSSENDALE pressure group has accused council bosses of wasting money after they put forward proposals to spend £100,000 on improving the controversial benefits system.

Rossendale Chartists spoke at last night's council meeting to raise their concerns about pumping more money into the system.

But Lynn Hurrell, director of housing management services, said the money was vital to help take the benefits system forward and prevent it going back to how it was 12 months ago.

She said five experienced staff members in the housing benefits department were leaving with 80 years experience between them.

The money, which would be included in the budget, will pay for the cost of agency cover while new staff training is on-going.

In 2003 there were 8,000 items of un-opened mail, to date the backlog has been reduced to 330.

Judith Lord, chair of the chartists, said: "Why should council tax payers have to fund the cost of failure when there are options for both cheaper and better services?

"It makes no sense in terms of the council's strategy and amounts to throwing money down the drain.

"There is also no proposal for how the council will provide an effective, efficient and economic service in the future.

"At the least, the option to transfer the service to another council ought to be on the agenda for consideration. We would nominate Bury for this work because of its status as the most improved council.

Mrs Hurrell said: "In a bid to maintain our current position this is the amount of money we will need to pay for experienced agency staff.

"We are looking at going into a partnership with a Tameside Council who deliver a high quality cost effective efficient service."