The annual billing period remains one of the most demanding times of the year at CFH. It brings together teams from across the business to ensure essential council client communications are delivered accurately, securely and on time.
The 2026 period was a significant one, with colleagues demonstrating exceptional coordination, professionalism and attention to detail throughout. This year, teams across our Radstock and Livingston sites once again delivered an exemplary service for 50 valued council clients.
As ever, preparation for annual billing began months in advance, with teams across CFH working together to support local authorities across England and Scotland in delivering essential revenues and benefits communications. This early planning ensures every stage of the process runs smoothly, from data handling through to final production and delivery.
From council tax bills and housing benefit notifications to exemption notices, landlord correspondence and NNDR communications, every mailing was produced and dispatched with care and precision. In total, we managed the production and dispatch of 3,495,742 mailings, supporting a wide range of council requirements.
With early engagement between our Account Management, Business Development, and client teams, initial discussions allow us to fully understand each council’s requirements and align on key timelines and workstreams. The 2026 period presented additional complexity, with the logistical changes involved in supporting newly established unitary authorities.
Behind the scenes, distinct production workflows are created to manage the complexity of each mailing. This structured approach ensures every document is produced, packed, and dispatched efficiently. Once again, many clients benefited from our match and merge functionality, enabling multiple documents to be combined into a single envelope to reduce postage costs, alongside the inclusion of additional inserts such as leaflets and booklets.
Annual billing is a truly cross-functional effort. In 2026, teams across the organisation dedicated significant time and expertise to delivering the project. Supported by our experienced managed services teams, this collaborative approach ensured every schedule was met without exception.
This success was ensured through strong communication across the business, with regular calls keeping projects on track and providing clear visibility at every stage. Having representatives from each department readily available for input and support enabled swift decision-making, reduced potential delays, and ensured any challenges were addressed proactively.
We remain committed to refining our processes year on year, with 2026 delivering several key enhancements to improve internal efficiencies. Our annual billing portal, first introduced in 2024, continued to act as a secure central hub for managing council data, including volumes, stock and despatch schedules. Enhancements introduced this year, driven by internal feedback, included improved production tracking to support planning and reporting.
We were delighted to see increased adoption of PPM (Personalised Print Management) outer envelopes, with an increasing number of clients opting for this envelope variant year on year. These windowless envelopes are printed on demand, removing the need for pre-printed stock while improving efficiency. They also offer environmental benefits, eliminating 175kg of single-use plastic per million envelopes produced.
Across England and Scotland, we supported 50 councils - 40 in England and 10 in Scotland. This year, councils praised the professionalism, flexibility and support of our teams, from handling late changes to maintaining clear communication throughout, ensuring a reliable and responsive service:
I wanted to express our thanks for all your hard work during our billing. I know this is an exceptionally busy time for you, and we are so grateful for the way you always go above and beyond. The team here regularly comments on how smoothly everything runs when you’re handling our work. We really appreciate your communication and attention to detail - it’s always reassuring to know we’re in such safe hands.
– Council Revenue & Benefits Lead
I just wanted to say thank you for all your support and expertise again this year. It’s been a pleasure dealing with you both again. Thank you for making the process run as smooth as it did; I really appreciate it. There were a lot of changes to contend with this year, but you guys did your bit to ensure it was all dealt with.
– Council Revenue & Benefits Team
Annual billing relies on the expertise and dedication of teams across the entire business, and every department plays a vital role in ensuring successful delivery. A huge thank you to every individual and team who contributed to making 2026 another highly successful annual billing period - driven by careful planning, strong collaboration and continuous improvement.
By reviewing the challenges encountered this year alongside what went well, we’re always looking to improve the effectiveness of the processes and supporting systems we have in place. As we look ahead to 2027, we remain committed to building on this success and continuing to support councils with efficient, reliable communication services.
Don’t hesitate to explore our selection of case studies for a step-by-step overview of our processes.
