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telephone request for MR
Very vulnerable and frail client had been moved from support group to WRAG after WCA. Deadline 29th and this was the 27th. With him in the room I rang to ask for MR and give reasons,
I was quite prepared to confirm the request and reasons in writing but I wanted to get the MR in before deadline. Oh yeah fine, says the staff man, “I’ve registered the MR request”. Ok I say, now I’ll give you the reasons. Oh no, he says you have to put the reasons in writing.
No i don’t I say. it can be done over the phone. No he says. I can only register it. If you want to do it over the phone someone from the DWP will ring you back.
Well that was no good at all because the client is so frail and mentally ill and confused that he would be unlikely to answer the phone let alone give reasons why he shouldn’t be in the WRAG.
Eventually the guy agreed that I could write and gave me a freepost address and I sent it off asap.
The CPAG welbens says v plainly that MRs can be requested over the phone and I know full well that previous clients have done it. I’ve seen their calls quoted in the DWP’s bundle. So what’s going on?
I suspect you already know the answer to your question - a random call handler/team leader/office manager has made up a policy either due to misunderstanding or to make their life easier (depending on how cynical you are).
Complain or just call back and hope for someone else.
Yup. Gently get the persons name and team. Place phone on receiver and call again until you get someone who does know what they’re doing. Then you can expend time writing to name the culprit and get them retrained. From previous experience it’s a problem with team leaders rather than individuals within the team.
Yup. Gently get the persons name and team. Place phone on receiver and call again until you get someone who does know what they’re doing. Then you can expend time writing to name the culprit and get them retrained. From previous experience it’s a problem with team leaders rather than individuals within the team.
yes, I can get that. My supervisor said that they were shortening call times to shorten waiting times to hit targets. Talking to me took a whole lot longer than just noting down the reasons.
The reason that I’m slightly more disturbed than the above is that he said someone from the DWP would ring me back—which suggests organisation greater tnan one rogue team leader. Or maybe not.