Universal Credit - a view from within the DWP

Alice_Holt

Makes for bleak reading -

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/universal-credit-dwp-worker-case-manager-benefits-system-government-food-banks-a7998196.html

"It is not uncommon for charities and support workers to inform case managers – the ones whose job it is to assess people for universal credit and other benefits – of the law, rather than the other way round."

"Many of my colleagues feel out of their depth with the quantity of claims they manage, resulting in a vast amount of crucial work never being completed until claimants contact us when their payments are inevitably paid incorrectly or not at all.

We’re so understaffed that case managers going on holiday can have a significant impact on claimants. These claimants are completely neglected, sometimes for many weeks, as colleagues are told to only send out payments for the people they manage themselves. In other words, if the person who’s looking after your universal credit payment takes some annual leave, you could be left penniless ..."

"I see so much suffering on a daily basis....."

Having attended a CPAG UC conference recently this account corresponds to the experiences of those benefit caseworkers present. Interestingly the DWP spokesman due to attend the closing Q & A conference session pulled out - I wonder why?

NeilCr

Thanks for the link Alice

We’ve only just started as a full area and I am taking some time out at the moment but it doesn’t surprise me

We had a talk from our local DWP liaison officer (good guy) a while before full service began. He said what he was telling us now could well be different in a month’s time as things were changing daily. And his staff hadn’t been trained on UC at that point

It may not be a popular view here but I feel a bit sorry for DWP staff. Overworked and undertrained and being asked to face up to something that is not fit for purpose (and yes I am only too aware of how bad it is for claimants). In my experience, when we’ve had to contact them on behalf of clients they have been courteous and helpful

TELLIT01

Unfortunately being understaffed and undertrained is nothing new for DWP staff. Staff were moved from other benefits to UC with no recruitment to fill the gaps despite UC being delayed by years, and therefore the expected drop in claim numbers for other benefits not dropping.
The vast majority of DWP staff want to do a good job. They simply aren't given the time to do so.

[Deleted User]

The more I see and the more I hear makes me think that the Govt. will come under increasing pressure to pause U.C, it seems they are already being shamed to change the 55p a min helplines,my guess for what its worth is that the SNP given chance will for a debate in the HOC and we will see what that brings.
Personally I said as far back as 2013 that UC credit whilst not the worst idea in the world would never work as planned, seems I may have been correct.

Mersey_2

Sadly, the second para sums up my dealings with the DWP. Employees just aren't aware of the Regs and advocates for claimants often have to tell DWP staff what their own Regs say.

sammyjammy

I just want to point out that those staff people see face to face are not trained to have knowledge of any benefits, it is not their role and I would be very careful of taking any benefit advice or information given by one of these staff. They really should be told not to give any info about benefits as so much misinformation is passed over. In my day we used to have a benefit query desk even though we did have residual knowledge due to changes that happen frequently it wasn't wise to give information out.

Of course a benefit queries desk in 2017 would need to take up most of a Jobcentre:o

dippy3103

Even if they were to remove housing costs from UC that would be better than what they are facing now.

i totally agree with the need to simplify the benefits system, but UC is just making things so much worse.

pmlindyloo

Worth a read:

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/about-us/policy/policy-research-topics/welfare-policy-research-surveys-and-consultation-responses/welfare-policy-research/fixing-universal-credit/

I believe that the roll out to UC which is set to accelerate should be paused until issues are addressed.

Good summary above.

Mersey_2

sammyjammy wrote: »

I just want to point out that those staff people see face to face are not trained to have knowledge of any benefits, it is not their role and I would be very careful of taking any benefit advice or information given by one of these staff. They really should be told not to give any info about benefits as so much misinformation is passed over.

The problem with UC (compared with JSA) is that they don't see any DWP staff face to face (other than handing ID docs to the JCP to copy and upload). Claimants are told to call the national UC contact centres with any queries. Those staff do receive basic training, but as the Ch4 Dispatches programme showed, the IT often fails and managers deliberately told staff not to inform claimants of their right to an advance.


Thankfully that has at last been changed this week.

IAmWales

There is a HoC debate on Wednesday on pausing the roll out of UC. It is an opposition day debate and I expect the Tories will all abstain from voting.

Laura Pidcock has been championing this issue, and has asked for personal experiences that she might be able to (anonymously) recount during the debate. I expect she'd be happy to hear from DWP staff and welfare advisors also. Her email is laura.pidcock.mp@parliament.uk and she can also be contacted via Facebook.

TELLIT01

Mersey wrote: »

The problem with UC (compared with JSA) is that they don't see any DWP staff face to face (other than handing ID docs to the JCP to copy and upload).

If there is no face to face contact what was the purpose of training up all the Work Coaches at JC's for UC claimants?