MSE News: Universal credit helpline charges to be scrapped

footyguy

Ian011 wrote: »

...
All 084, 087 and 09 numbers are premium rate ...

HMRC changed their premium rate 0845 and 0870 lines ...

Just to clarify, 0845 and 0870 are NOT classed as premium rate nuimbers.
It's sadly another myth perpetuated through the internet to suggest otherwise.
In fact, calls to 0845 and 0870 numbers are FREE when made as part of your free calls within a BT calling plan

footyguy

Ames wrote: »

Iphones tend to be on contracts, so it would be free to call the helpline.

Save

True, but those on benefits may not have access to such credit agreements, so CPW sell them PAYG :T
https://www.carphonewarehouse.com/mobiles/pay-as-you-go-tariff.html#!/sort/relevance/model/APPIPH7PLUS128RG

(other mobile phone retailers are available)

Ian011

footyguy wrote: »

Just to clarify, 0845 and 0870 are NOT classed as premium rate numbers.
It's sadly another myth perpetuated through the internet to suggest otherwise.
In fact, calls to 0845 and 0870 numbers are FREE when made as part of your free calls within a BT calling plan

All 084, 087, 09 and 118 numbers are premium rate. The call charge consists of an Access Charge set by and paid to the benefit of the caller's landline or mobile provider, and a Service Charge set by and paid to the benefit of the called party and their telecoms provider. The premium is the additional Service Charge.

Numbers with a Service Charge of more than 7p per minute and which start 087, 09 or 118 are defined as Controlled Premium Rate Services (CPRS) and subject to additional regulation by the Phone-paid Services Authority (PSA).

There is no such additional charge when calling landline numbers, 03 numbers or mobile numbers. With all of those, call charges are set entirely by the caller's landline or mobile provider and they retain all of the revenue. Ofcom regulations require call charges for 03 numbers to be the same as for 01 and 02 numbers. The usual way to pay for calls to these numbers is through an inclusive calls allowance. With an inclusive allowance, there is no charge for individual calls.

BT is the largest supplier of 0845 and 0870 numbers to businesses. BT benefits from the Service Charge revenue when anyone on another network calls one of the numbers they control. This income allows BT to discount the retail charge when 0845 or 0870 numbers are called from a BT landline. Nevertheless when a BT retail customer calls an 0845 or 0870 number controlled by another telecoms provider, BT has to pay the Service Charge to that other provider. For 084 numbers, the Service Charge is up to 7p per minute (up to £4.20 per hour). For 087 numbers, the Service Charge is up to 13p per minute (up to £7.80 per hour).

Outside of inclusive allowances, calls to landline numbers, 03 numbers and mobile numbers can cost up to 13p per minute from landlines or up to 55p per minute from mobiles. While these charges can be high, this is the caller's phone provider ripping off their customers and this does not make them premium rate numbers. The usual way to pay for these calls is to pay around £10 to £15 for unlimited calls. This applies on landlines and mobiles, both on contract and pay-as-you-go.


See also:
https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/contacting-08-and-03-numbers
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5292529
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5727522

annandale

There is not a call back option. You have to wait to be connected before someone can ring you back. I've made numerous calls over the last six months due to a mistake they made with my payment in the beginning that took months to sort out.

The average wait time for me has been around 15-20 minutes each time. Once you are connected you can ask that someone rings you back but there's no callback option.

Please don't give out false information, it helps no one.

Ian011

An option allowing callers to request to be called back but which is only able to be asked for after a considerable time on hold is no use to anyone.

If a call back option is to be offered, the option needs to be offered after a relatively short time on hold, perhaps five minutes or so.

As DWP will be paying out up to 8p per minute for incoming calls to their freephone numbers they will likely seek to minimise the time spent on hold. They can do this by either getting more staff answering phones or giving people the option at the earliest possible opportunity to arrange a callback.

annandale

You have to ask for a callback. You don't get offered one as part of the automated options. Plus. Numerous people who have requested call backs don't get them.

As for comments made earlier about iPhones and benefits, universal credit is an in work benefit. There are plenty of people in work who claim uc. Including people who work 25-33 hours a week at nmw. Please don't assume that everyone on uc does no work. It's not the case.

Ive never been asked for details of income when taking out a contract. Just a credit check.

pmduk

I'm not on UC, but I've never been answered by a human on a DWP helpline in 2 minutes. I'd say 10 minutes minimum, 45 maximum for me. A friend's record, calling about ESA was 70 minutes.

zagfles

MSE_Callum wrote: »

Controversial charges of up to 55p a minute for calls to the universal credit helpline are to be abolished, the Government has announced...

Why are MSE following the rest of the media with such disingenuous and misleading headlines?

The UC helpline number is a normal 03 number, charged the same as calling any landline, like most councils' housing benefit helpine, or the tax credits helpline. Why aren't they equally "controversial"? Why has it suddenly become "controversial" for a benefits helpline to be a normally charged phone call when it doesn't appear to have been controversial for the last 50 years?

The "up to 55p per minute" is also misleading, it's a worst case scenario that will apply to hardly anyone. In fact it's not even the worst case - why not give the cost of calling a directory enquiry service and getting put though by them - that'll likey be several pounds per minute!

The reality is that most people will pay nothing like 55p/min, the majority will get it free as part of inclusive mins on a mobile or as part of a landline package, and the rest will pay far less than 55p/min.

[Deleted User]

Shouldn't the argument be that UC is unfit for purpose, too much concentration on the cost of calls diverts the real anger about this shocking unworkable benefit. As we see the roll out continue more and more people will be thrown onto the mercy of charities and food banks, Frank Field said this week in the HOC that the food bank in Birkenhead where he is MP will need an additional 15 tons of food just to get them through Christmas, this govt. should hang its head in shame and then pause the roll out.

zagfles

venison wrote: »

Shouldn't the argument be that UC is unfit for purpose, too much concentration on the cost of calls diverts the real anger about this shocking unworkable benefit. As we see the roll out continue more and more people will be thrown onto the mercy of charities and food banks, Frank Field said this week in the HOC that the food bank in Birkenhead where he is MP will need an additional 15 tons of food just to get them through Christmas, this govt. should hang its head in shame and then pause the roll out.

Again the media focus on the worst case scenarios. The main issues with UC seem to be the delays in payment, which have happened with all other benefits, so like the phone line issue it's not something new, and the payment of the rent element of UC direct to the claimant rather than to the landlord, which some claimants can't cope with and some landlords don't like.

The govt's logic is it's supposed to emulate employment income, ie paid monthly in arrears, and the claimants should sort out their own bills like rent.