Benefit line so busy

Paparika

Just a rant really.

ssp stopped today, so ring esa but line is constantly busy, no just one or 2 calls, i have been ringing all day, my battery is now flat on the phone.

they have my paperwork, but i have had no letters from them, £20.00 to live on now until i can get through to them or they contact me...

Its a joke millions unemployed, the phone lines are constanly busy... hire ppl plzzz

sammyjammy

It doesn't help you I know but they are trying!

Its really not that easy, one minute they are getting rid of people and closing buildings etc the next they are having to recruit, this takes time what with CRB checks etc then the office gets full so they have to find alternative accommodation, temporary or otherwise, all this takes a long time, things will improve probably just as the recession tails off and unemployment goes down!

cattie

Have you tried ringing before 8am & up to 7pm? Only some benefit offices are staffed during these hours & the phone lines are less busy.

Also, it has been known for benefit offices to be staffed on Saturday mornings when there is a big backlog to get through, so always worth trying.

Paparika

the phone line says 9am - 5pm monday to friday

carerof3

I've got the same problem, and as we get through and listen to a long message before being told to ring later and it's an 0845 number it costs about 30p at time. I have discovered that if I go to the jobcentre, I can use their phone, but still didn't get through in the time I had available before needing to be home for my son.

Let me know if you find a solution !

NASA_2

The DWP are hiring people by the bucketload but there are just so many people being made unemployed that its scary.

All I can suggest is to keep trying.

Paparika

Just an update, finally got through to them last thursay...about 3 weeks to get through to them......

now the fun part i've been awarded and they have started to pay me, even got my dla high mobility and middle carers but now i have a esa50 to fill out, only if i want help and get someone from esa to fill it out i need to ring them...... (i have only 4 weeks to do this lol )

carerof3 wrote: »

I've got the same problem, and as we get through and listen to a long message before being told to ring later and it's an 0845 number it costs about 30p at time. I have discovered that if I go to the jobcentre, I can use their phone, but still didn't get through in the time I had available before needing to be home for my son.

Let me know if you find a solution !

if you are a bt customer 0845 numbers are now free

healy

Paparika wrote: »

Just an update, finally got through to them last thursay...about 3 weeks to get through to them......

now the fun part i've been awarded and they have started to pay me, even got my dla high mobility and middle carers but now i have a esa50 to fill out, only if i want help and get someone from esa to fill it out i need to ring them...... (i have only 4 weeks to do this lol )



if you are a bt customer 0845 numbers are now free

You actually have 6 weeks to fill out the form, if you do not fill it out after 4 weeks they will send you a reminder and give you another 2 weeks.

bunny999

Paparika wrote: »

Just a rant really.

ssp stopped today, so ring esa but line is constantly busy, no just one or 2 calls, i have been ringing all day, my battery is now flat on the phone.

they have my paperwork, but i have had no letters from them, £20.00 to live on now until i can get through to them or they contact me...

Its a joke millions unemployed, the phone lines are constanly busy... hire ppl plzzz

Have you ever considered thet's why the phones are always busy ?

cit_k

bunny999 wrote: »

Have you ever considered thet's why the phones are always busy ?

I thought it was due to the fact that they dwp are behind the times with technology (lack of ability to do everything online), and the fact they made everyone have to do virtually everything over the phone now, instead of being able to pop in and talk face to face, combined with the fact its common for the staff to wind you up by telling you that you need to ring another number, only when you ring them they say eh? Why did they tell you that.... Causing people to have to ring back the first number again.

Rising unemployment wont help either though, thats certainly true. But more efficient use of existing resources would go a long, long way.

And why are the media (channel4, papers etc) refusing to print the fact the jobcenter will ring someone back if they ask... (thats if you can get through to them in the first place.)

Now their spending billions upgrading facilities and hiring staff (after closing and firing in the past) - problem is once the country picks up again, bet they start closing and firing again....

NASA_2

cit_k wrote: »

And why are the media (channel4, papers etc) refusing to print the fact the jobcenter will ring someone back if they ask... (thats if you can get through to them in the first place.)
....

Why would they randomly publicise that?

Some staff need to have it pointed out to them too admitedly. Its policy to always make a call back if asked and good practice to offer if seen that it is a mobile that the call is being made from.