THE benefits team at Ribble Valley has been named one of the best in a Government survey.

The council was one of only two authorities in the country to be ranked in the top ten for all seven categories of the 2007 best value benefits survey.

The survey, conducted every three years, asks benefits claimants across the country to rate their local benefits service.

The survey rated Ribble Valley first in the country in the telephone service and speed-of- service categories, with satisfaction scores of 92 per cent and 88 per cent respectively.

The authority was second in the categories for contact with the benefits office (90 per cent), user-friendliness of benefits forms (77 per cent) and overall satisfaction with the benefits service (92 per cent). The team administers housing and council tax benefit for 2,500 residents.