When Council Offices Close for Christmas, Resident Support Does Not

How always-on AI keeps essential local services accessible over the festive period 

Christmas is one of the few times in the year when council offices largely close. Contact centres scale back, inboxes pause and staff step away to spend time with family. 

For residents, however, demand does not stop. 

Bins still need collecting. Council tax payments still need checking. Severe weather, housing issues and care concerns do not wait for offices to reopen. 

Last Christmas, data from councils using ICS.AI solutions shows how an always-on AI front door ensured residents were still able to access support, even at the quietest point in the public sector calendar. 

What residents needed help with over Christmas 

Across councils using ICS.AI solutions, many thousands of resident interactions were handled during the Christmas closure period last year. 

Activity did not drop away on key dates. On Christmas Day and Boxing Day, AI assistants handled hundreds of interactions per day, with demand continuing steadily through to the New Year. 

The data shows a clear mix of routine and critical needs: 

• High volumes of queries about festive bin collections and changes to schedules 

• Council tax payment questions, particularly around dates falling over the holidays 

• Requests for emergency social care contacts and adult services information 

• Homelessness and housing support queries during the coldest period of the year 

• Weather-related updates, including gritting, road conditions and service disruption 

Alongside these were moments that underline the human reality of Christmas demand. Residents asked when bins normally collected on Boxing Day would be, how to safely dispose of Christmas lights, and even checked registrar opening times on Christmas morning. 

Deflecting demand while protecting residents 

Crucially, this demand was not simply logged. It was handled.

Data from the period shows that a large proportion of interactions were resolved immediately by AI, without the need for escalation to human teams. This included both web-based interactions and phone-originated demand that would otherwise have resulted in closed messages or unnecessary callbacks. 

Where queries indicated urgency or risk, residents were safely signposted to the correct out-of-hours or emergency services, ensuring that serious issues were not delayed or missed. In one council alone, over 2,000 interactions were handled by its AI assistant during the Christmas closure window, providing 24/7 access to information and support when offices were shut. 

This significantly reduced pressure on limited on-call staff, while maintaining continuity of service for residents. 

AI working so people do not have to 

The data tells a simple story. AI does not replace people. It absorbs the predictable, high-volume demand so that human teams can focus on emergencies, complex cases and professional judgement. 

Over Christmas, that meant fewer unnecessary requests to on-call teams, fewer residents left without answers, and greater confidence that support was available if needed. AI worked quietly in the background, keeping the lights on while people rested. 

“Over Christmas and New Year, the council is closed except for emergency and essential services. That includes Housing and Homelessness support, food parcels, and missed bin support. Last year, during our closed period from Christmas Eve to 2 January, our AI assistant Tom handled 2,345 calls - helping residents who would otherwise have only heard a closed message, and providing 24/7 out-of-hours support and signposting when it’s needed most.”

Gemma Hancox - Customer Contact Group Manager, Telford and Wrekin Council

What this means beyond Christmas 

What happened last Christmas is not unique to the festive period. It is a clear, practical example of how councils can build resilience into everyday service delivery. 

An always-on AI front door provides consistent access to information, reduces avoidable contact, and ensures residents are supported regardless of opening hours, seasonal pressures or workforce constraints. 

It is affordable, scalable and increasingly essential. 

Looking ahead 

Rolled out nationwide, an always-on AI front door would mean residents are never left without answers, even when council offices are closed. At the same time, it would help councils reduce avoidable demand and ease pressure on staff, ensuring public services remain resilient, responsive and human-centred all year round. 

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