The day after my state pension qualifying age, nothing heard from the DWP

Thrugelmir

Listlad said:

Thrugelmir said:

JGB1955 said:

I have no idea why the process has become so 'shabby' 9 months later. They can't use Covid as an excuse - the process worked a year ago.... why doesn't it now?

Staff leaving and retiring and not being replaced. Back logs then build. Also people self isolate, look after their kids etc.  Then decide to go on holiday in August as foreign holidays are possible.  Unfortunately people expect to speak to Alexa and a team of elfs magically materialises to solve the challenge these days. 

The galling thing is there is nothing. Not even a text or email or anything to say, sorry we are late, we will get back to you soon. That’s the damming thing. Quite a number of people are getting absolutely no communication whatsoever. 

Every customer interaction aborbs someones time. Stops them from doing something productive. Scale the problem up and the lost time becomes considerable. Takes weeks to clear a backlog on top of the normal work load. If you've ever experienced such a situation. 

xylophone

One DWP assistant told me that she ‘won’t starve as there are plenty of food banks nearby’. I was disgusted for them to even suggest that.””

I sincerely hope that that there was a formal. written complaint in the strongest possible terms  and the member of staff concerned formally reprimanded.

There is absolutely no excuse for such a rude and unprofessional response from this  person who was merely trying to wriggle out of even trying to excuse her department's total and utter incompetence.

xylophone

Every customer interaction aborbs someones time. Stops them from doing something productive. Scale the problem up and the lost time becomes considerable. Takes weeks to clear a backlog on top of the normal work load. If you've ever experienced such a situation. 

I have worked in an area where there was a backlog but never in my life did I ever come across a member of our staff who responded to an enquiry  in the terms to which reference is made above.

I can assure you that had such a thing occurred and been reported to a  manager, immediate  censure would have followed.

xylophone

And incidentally, answering queries from customers is part of the job and is something productive.
I imagine that you would feel very forgiving if you were treated with utter contempt by a customer service assistant working for your bank for example?

Listlad

Thrugelmir said:

Listlad said:

Thrugelmir said:

JGB1955 said:

I have no idea why the process has become so 'shabby' 9 months later. They can't use Covid as an excuse - the process worked a year ago.... why doesn't it now?

Staff leaving and retiring and not being replaced. Back logs then build. Also people self isolate, look after their kids etc.  Then decide to go on holiday in August as foreign holidays are possible.  Unfortunately people expect to speak to Alexa and a team of elfs magically materialises to solve the challenge these days. 

The galling thing is there is nothing. Not even a text or email or anything to say, sorry we are late, we will get back to you soon. That’s the damming thing. Quite a number of people are getting absolutely no communication whatsoever. 

Every customer interaction aborbs someones time. Stops them from doing something productive. Scale the problem up and the lost time becomes considerable. Takes weeks to clear a backlog on top of the normal work load. If you've ever experienced such a situation. 

Sure have. The trick is not to let it get out of hand in the first place. These phone calls are not actually having any impact on DWP productivity as the people who answer the phone are not involved in progressing the claims. 

Dazed_and_C0nfused

Listlad said:

Thrugelmir said:

Listlad said:

Thrugelmir said:

JGB1955 said:

I have no idea why the process has become so 'shabby' 9 months later. They can't use Covid as an excuse - the process worked a year ago.... why doesn't it now?

Staff leaving and retiring and not being replaced. Back logs then build. Also people self isolate, look after their kids etc.  Then decide to go on holiday in August as foreign holidays are possible.  Unfortunately people expect to speak to Alexa and a team of elfs magically materialises to solve the challenge these days. 

The galling thing is there is nothing. Not even a text or email or anything to say, sorry we are late, we will get back to you soon. That’s the damming thing. Quite a number of people are getting absolutely no communication whatsoever. 

Every customer interaction aborbs someones time. Stops them from doing something productive. Scale the problem up and the lost time becomes considerable. Takes weeks to clear a backlog on top of the normal work load. If you've ever experienced such a situation. 

Sure have. The trick is not to let it get out of hand in the first place. These phone calls are not actually having any impact on DWP productivity as the people who answer the phone are not involved in progressing the claims. 

But the more calls the more the likelihood that staff progressing the claims have to stop progressing them to ensure the phones are answered.

Bit of a catch 22 situation, people understandably want to know where their State Pension is but chasing it might ultimately add to the delays.

Listlad

Dazed_and_C0nfused said:

Listlad said:

Thrugelmir said:

Listlad said:

Thrugelmir said:

JGB1955 said:

I have no idea why the process has become so 'shabby' 9 months later. They can't use Covid as an excuse - the process worked a year ago.... why doesn't it now?

Staff leaving and retiring and not being replaced. Back logs then build. Also people self isolate, look after their kids etc.  Then decide to go on holiday in August as foreign holidays are possible.  Unfortunately people expect to speak to Alexa and a team of elfs magically materialises to solve the challenge these days. 

The galling thing is there is nothing. Not even a text or email or anything to say, sorry we are late, we will get back to you soon. That’s the damming thing. Quite a number of people are getting absolutely no communication whatsoever. 

Every customer interaction aborbs someones time. Stops them from doing something productive. Scale the problem up and the lost time becomes considerable. Takes weeks to clear a backlog on top of the normal work load. If you've ever experienced such a situation. 

Sure have. The trick is not to let it get out of hand in the first place. These phone calls are not actually having any impact on DWP productivity as the people who answer the phone are not involved in progressing the claims. 

But the more calls the more the likelihood that staff progressing the claims have to stop progressing them to ensure the phones are answered.

Bit of a catch 22 situation, people understandably want to know where their State Pension is but chasing it might ultimately add to the delays.

However….if they were upfront and honest in the first place, most people would hold off knowing what is happening. The DWP didn’t take that tack and pretended and still pretend that everything is normal. 

Also, the staff taking the phone calls don’t appear to be the staff progressing the claims. 

According to some newspaper reports it wont be till the end of October before things get back to normal. For some pensioners that is too long. 

The DWP aren’t saying that at the moment, to the claiming public who are in the dark and worried. According to one report yesterday, claimants are being advised to use food banks until their claim is processed. 

Listlad

https://www.ftadviser.com/pensions/2021/09/09/dwp-admits-delays-in-processing-state-pension-payments/

“Normal service is expected to resume by the end of October 2021.”

p00hsticks

Dazed_and_C0nfused said:

Listlad said:

Thrugelmir said:

Listlad said:

Thrugelmir said:

JGB1955 said:

I have no idea why the process has become so 'shabby' 9 months later. They can't use Covid as an excuse - the process worked a year ago.... why doesn't it now?

Staff leaving and retiring and not being replaced. Back logs then build. Also people self isolate, look after their kids etc.  Then decide to go on holiday in August as foreign holidays are possible.  Unfortunately people expect to speak to Alexa and a team of elfs magically materialises to solve the challenge these days. 

The galling thing is there is nothing. Not even a text or email or anything to say, sorry we are late, we will get back to you soon. That’s the damming thing. Quite a number of people are getting absolutely no communication whatsoever. 

Every customer interaction aborbs someones time. Stops them from doing something productive. Scale the problem up and the lost time becomes considerable. Takes weeks to clear a backlog on top of the normal work load. If you've ever experienced such a situation. 

Sure have. The trick is not to let it get out of hand in the first place. These phone calls are not actually having any impact on DWP productivity as the people who answer the phone are not involved in progressing the claims. 

But the more calls the more the likelihood that staff progressing the claims have to stop progressing them to ensure the phones are answered.

I donlt believe that that is generally how DWP works - there are front line staff working in customer facing roles in call-centres, who are dealing with telephone enquiries from customers and taking phone applications,  and then completely separate lots of back-room office staff who will be dealing with the processing. I don't think it's particularly easy to move staff between the two roles as they are often in different locations.

rosalind110

Since I'm deaf and cannot contact the DWP by phone and had received no receipt  acknowledgement or response to letters sent by mail, I took the advice of people here and emailed my MP.  Within four days she wrote back attaching the letter she had received from the DWP giving the date that my first pension installment would be paid. I then received a letter from the DWP giving all the details and I got the first payment on time.