DWP dirty tactics

whodathunkit

ohreally wrote: »

How can you possibly know this? Given the number was withheld then what follows is nothing but speculation and assumptions.

They said that they phoned him and he said he received a call. The fact that he couldn't be bothered to answer it is hardly their fault

nannytone_2

the OP must have gave the DWP a mobile number ... how else would they have been able to phone him?
it's hardly going to come up as 'DWP' on the phones display

lighting_up_the_chalice

nannytone wrote: »

the OP must have gave the DWP a mobile number ... how else would they have been able to phone him?
it's hardly going to come up as 'DWP' on the phones display

Are the DWP unable to call land-lines?

poppasmurf_bewdley

Looks like the OP has taken his ball home!

Mind you, I frequently feel that someone who starts a thread like this at 11pm and goes on until 2am has usually been on the sauce or something stronger.

Don't they call it 'tired and emotional'?

nannytone_2

lighting_up_the_chalice wrote: »

Are the DWP unable to call land-lines?

maybe it was a kandline with a caller display?
maybe the OP doesnt have a landline?
regardless the OP must have given the DWP the numver,,
so why bother if theyre not going to answer it when it rings?

mattcanary

nannytone wrote: »

it sepends who you mean when you say 'you cant trust a word they say'
on the whole, the only people you actually get to speak to are those who work in the job centre or those that answer the phones in the benefit delivery centre ...
and they have no power to make any secision regarding anyones claim!
they are also the ones who have to take the abuse from customers like the OP .....

Yes, but they certainly do have the power to refer claimants on to other people in the DWP, recommending them to be sanctioned.


Without them doing this, the decision-makers would have no decision to make in this type of situation.


So of course frontline staff have a big part to play.

mattcanary

whodathunkit wrote: »

They said that they phoned him and he said he received a call. The fact that he couldn't be bothered to answer it is hardly their fault

What happened though if he couldn't answer the call - eg: in shower at the time, out jogging, etc?


You can't phone back withheld numbers if you miss a call (unless the caller leaves a message on the phone).

epitome

How many people here would like it if you made a claim to JSA online on 01/07/2014....

And the next thing you got was a letter from DWP which arrives on 06/07/2014 (but it might have arrived 7/7, 8/7, saying We tried to contact you on 03/07/2014, please call us as soon as possible or your benefit may be affected.

So you phone that day and they say "We tried to phone you on 03/07/14, is there a reason you missed our call?"

You answer any one of the following - take your pick

• I noticed a call from witheld number, I don't answer witheld no's
• No, I received no calls and I have no missed calls registered
• There was a missed call on 03/07/2014 but it was from an unknown number - what could I do?
• There was a missed call, you had my mobile number, if I didn't answer, why didn't you send a text with further instructions?

Having answered any of the above, the person on the phone then books you a WFI and says goodbye.

You then get a letter saying "Because we tried to call you on 03/07/2014 and we were unsuccessful, and because you called us on 06/07, 07/07, 08/07, (take your pick because you only called them when you got their letter), we do not consider your reasons for missing our call acceptable we therefore have started your claim from 06/07, 07/07, 08/07

I would not like that, simply for being pressed into making a claim online in the first place (ALL DWP guidance for staff and customers alike is to tell and persuade JSA claimants to claim online) If the claim had been done over the phone the claimant gets a WFI appointment at the end of the inbound call. By pressing claimants to claim online, the DWP apparently are imposing a responsibilty onto the claimant to answer their phone, and if they don't, then their benefit may be affected.

A LOT of people would not bother to fight it, for many reasons, and so save the government £40 - £70 per person (maybe more). Even though they had a valid reason. I would think that there are hundreds or thousands of valid reasons for missing the call but not many invalid reasons - considering the call comes from a withheld number and this is assuming it is a mobile as opposed to a landline, with a landline you may have no clue that the phone had rang earlier.

I have never claimed JSA online so I have no idea what instructions are given regarding "expecting a phone call" and what to do and how long to leave it before phoning DWP if you don't get a phonecall.

I do know that if I ever have to claim JSA, I will absolutely refuse to do the claim online. I will claim over the telephone, because I know at the end of that call everything is done, I will have been given my appointment and I will know as long as I turn up to the jobcentre at the appointed time, nothing can go wrong.

whodathunkit

mattcanary wrote: »

What happened though if he couldn't answer the call - eg: in shower at the time, out jogging, etc?


You can't phone back withheld numbers if you miss a call (unless the caller leaves a message on the phone).

Why would he risk missing such an important call when he was expecting it?

epitome

whodathunkit wrote: »

Why would he risk missing such an important call when he was expecting it?

Are you really saying that having made your claim online, you should not go to the toilet or the shower, or go out shopping, that you should religously sit by your telephone for 48 - 72 hours or more?

If your phone is not by your computer, you could miss the call because you are looking for jobs on the internet.