still waiting?

tcr_3

It's a case of prioritising. And calls from HB are about the lowest priority a BDC can get, it's not really surprising your calls are being passed over when they're struggling to answer calls about important stuff, like their own benefit payments.

Macro_3

tcr wrote: »

It's a case of prioritising. And calls from HB are about the lowest priority a BDC can get, it's not really surprising your calls are being passed over when they're struggling to answer calls about important stuff, like their own benefit payments.

I don't doubt that, but I think the same can also be true when it comes to calls from the claimant.

hobbledehoy.

Macro wrote: »

tcr, I don't think it's that straightforward. I work in Housing Benefits and sometimes have to request a call back from the BDC regarding a claim when I need more information than the call centre can provide - not often, perhaps once every few weeks or so. I always give both my switchboard number and my direct line, both of which are staffed from before the DWP open in the morning until after they close - throughout the day - by a small and very reliable team. I'd estimate that I receive about a third of the call backs on the first request. I usually give it a couple of days and then make a second request - and a third, etc, if needed, but the system, in my experience at least, is far from reliable.

I think the more likely explanation is that the bdc (particularly considering the volume of ESA conversions taking place at the moment) are just not getting round to the calls as they should.

That isn't to say it's the fault of the staff, mind.

Hello,

Thank you for those comments. And you are trying to assess Housing Benefit which should be a priority, but are only having a 33% success rate! It does seem to point to the fact that the staff in the BDC are not working very efficiently.

It used to be the case that the government departments should answer at least 98% of all calls within 1 min, return calls within the time frame advised, and deal with correspondence within 28 days.
What ever happened to those promises?

I cannot accept it as an excuse that the DWP of over stretched and cannot cope. If that is the case then (like any business) senior management should take steps to rectify the problem - we are all customers and we are all entitled to receive a service that is fair and reasonable.

Macro_3

hobbledehoy. wrote: »

Hello,
I cannot accept it as an excuse that the DWP of over stretched and cannot cope. If that is the case then (like any business) senior management should take steps to rectify the problem - we are all customers and we are all entitled to receive a service that is fair and reasonable.

In fairness to the DWP, I think the problems go beyond senior management. As TCR said, the DWP are reducing staffing. At the same time they are taking on more work than ever before and preparing to face fundamental changes in the way the benefits systems operate. In the case of ESA, they are converting many thousands of IB cases to ESA every week at the moment, whilst also dealing with the claims/appeals process for those existing claimants who failed the initial work capability assessment. The sheer volume of work to be done is scary, and staff can only do so much.

tcr_3

hobbledehoy. wrote: »

Hello,

Thank you for those comments. And you are trying to assess Housing Benefit which should be a priority, but are only having a 33% success rate! It does seem to point to the fact that the staff in the BDC are not working very efficiently.

It used to be the case that the government departments should answer at least 98% of all calls within 1 min, return calls within the time frame advised, and deal with correspondence within 28 days.
What ever happened to those promises?

I cannot accept it as an excuse that the DWP of over stretched and cannot cope. If that is the case then (like any business) senior management should take steps to rectify the problem - we are all customers and we are all entitled to receive a service that is fair and reasonable.

Thing is mate, you're right on so many things.

But it comes down to ££££. They don't have the money to employ more staff. Everytime the Daily Mail moans about fatcat civil servants, the Treasury demands a cut in the headcount right across Whitehall and the DWP isn't excluded from that.

Think DWP lost over 30,000 experienced staff members 4 years ago when nearly 700 social security offices and job centres closed. Now they've lost another 10,000 in the last 12 months as fixed term contract staff were paid off ... less experienced staff but no less valuable.

The worst recession since, phew ... the 1930's ? One person of working age in five now reliant on benefits of some kind ? A Labour government which made an already tortuously complicated system even more impossible to navigate ... the list's endless.

I don't doubt it's frustrating to see calls go unanswered, or not be called back. Or to get no replies to your letters. I've every sympathy.

But for those slogging their guts out in benefit delivery day in day out, with crap pay, long hours and little public recognition of any kind whatever ... hey, I'm not going to allow them to be routinely dissed on this forum as liars, morons & incompetents.

tcr_3

And know what ... here's an example if you think it's so easy.

I'm the customer. I don't like getting paid my benefit on a Tuesday. And I don't like it getting paid fortnightly either. I'd prefer to get it paid every Friday, once a week. And that's what I'm asking you, the moron at the DWP, to do for me.

Here's a link to the Decision Maker's Guide.

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/specialist-guides/decision-makers-guide/

Now, you've got answer my call saying "Sorry, we can't do that". So find out for me, from the Decision Maker's Guide, where it tells you what day of the week to pay me & how regularly I should get paid.

Now that's dead straightforward, isn't it ? It's not rocket science by any means. But I'm the Income Support customer and frankly, I can't wait. I want that reply NOW. I've already sent in two letters and I'm not hanging up on the phone until someone gives me the answer I want. I want to know what law this decision's been made under.

So time yourselves. Now bear in mind as you thumb through that guidance ... the phones are still ringing red hot with other customers ... the postman's still delivering sacks of mail. So time yourself to answer my query and let's see how long it takes.

Oh. And by the way. A colleague's just whispered in your ear that someone's refusing to leave the Job Centre until they get paid. This other customer's failed her ESA medical, her new claim appointment with Jobseeker's Allowance isn't until next Thursday. But she doesn't have any money to get through until then. Oh, and she's got two kids, there's no food in the house & the electric/gas prepayment meters have both run out.

So off you go. Prioritise. And try to sort both problems out within, say, 30 minutes. Oh, btw, since you started reading this ... Macro's been on the phone too. He's asking if you could confirm JSA entitlement for someone from May 2007-June 2009, he's trying to sort out Housing Benefit entitlement.

If you don't want to accept this challenge, consider this ... that's what life is like day in, day out, for DWP benefit delivery staff.

I'm ex DWP, incidentally, if you're wondering. But I still have my tribal loyalties.

tinktinktinkerbell

tcr wrote: »

Lie ? I'll think you'll find they try their damndest to call everyone back. But what would you do if the line's continually ringing out or going straight to voicemail ? Keep trying to callback forever ? It's a total impossibility with the volume of calls they receive. 3 times they'll try, if unsuccessful they'll put a note on your records to say they gave it a good go, so the next call handler knows what's happened.

But lie ? Don't think so.

i think you will find that do they hell try to call back!!

ive had to call them countless times about various things and 8 times out of 10 IVE had to call THEM back and tell them i did NOT get a call back

and it wasnt because the phone was off either as it was a land line and working perfectly!

tcr_3

tinktinktinkerbell wrote: »

i think you will find that do they hell try to call back!!

ive had to call them countless times about various things and 8 times out of 10 IVE had to call THEM back and tell them i did NOT get a call back

and it wasnt because the phone was off either as it was a land line and working perfectly!

Presumably I'm a liar too ... because I worked there ?

No-one's taken up the challenge, incidentally. Cmon ... if it's so easy ...

skintas_2

i kept ringingand all i was getting was pls ring back again later i nether got thru till this week. i even went to my local jobcentre and they told me they where having the same problems even they couldnt get thru, they had to email... hopefully this week it will be sorted.

hobbledehoy.

Hello

I do hear what you are saying and I am not an unreasonable guy. Yes I know the dept. has problems, and yes you must get the awkward customers as well.

Having said that, why can't somebody say to me - 'look, we are very busy at the moment and appreciate that you are concerned. What we will do is ring you back on Wednesday (5 days later) between 2 and 5. Im sorry about this but in order to ensure that you receive the right information could you bear with us?'

My reply - 'Thank you - and yes I would like somebody to speak with me that would know the answer - now that I know when I will be contacted, I can plan the rest of the week without having to wait by a telephone day in, day out - hoping for the return call that never comes' - 'Thank you for being honest with me'

Instead of being told - 'within 5 hours' and you know full well that it won't happen - but on the off chance it might, so I will wait.

Please be honest with us. If the public were told what state the DWP is in, then we, the public, would be complaining to our MP's on your behalf.

As regards letters, I don't care if I received a reply of one line within 28 days saying that a full reply will be sent within the next 28 days. Just please reply as otherwise we sit here wondering if the letter was ever delivered!