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Forum Home  →  Discussion  →  Disability benefits  →  Thread

More phone woes

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generalistadviser29
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Birmingham Citizens Advice Bureau

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The PIP number- I got through but only by trying a different option.

The adviser said she was aware of this and had reported it to her line manager. This was 3 weeks ago.

Mike Hughes
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Senior welfare rights officer - Salford City Council Welfare Rights Service

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Are you still on hold? 😊

generalistadviser29
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Birmingham Citizens Advice Bureau

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Mike Hughes - 12 September 2016 01:21 PM

Are you still on hold? :)

:)

Daphne
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rightsnet writer / editor

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Slightly out of date now but these are the reported average waiting times on the phone by benefit in a written answer yesterday - http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2016-09-02/44449

sounds like things are getting a lot worse…

Benny Fitzpatrick
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Welfare Rights Officer, Southway Housing Trust, Manchester

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Does anyone here believe those figures? Utter rubbish!

Dan_Manville
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Mental health & welfare rights service - Wolverhampton City Council

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Benny Fitzpatrick - 13 September 2016 12:54 PM

Does anyone here believe those figures? Utter rubbish!

2 years ago they might have been true; these days I rarely get through in less than 15 minutes.

Colin Hannon
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Sustain - Helena Partnerships

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There appears to be a national problem here , one week I was on hold on average of 60-70"minutes before I had to abort the calls , as also mentioned instances of being cut off after being given a message of all lines are busy . No matter what time of the day you ring it never improves even when the recorded message states we are less busy between 8-9am & 5-6 pm ? Not true my friends
Often we get clients attending our surgeries with the date for return of the PIP 2 being that same day therefore urgently needing an extension ? Well not a chance of getting through to the PIP helpline to do this , totally unacceptable and this is not a service being provided to vulnerable disabled people .

On one rare occasion I managed to break through to request a copy of a HCP assessment report so I can challenge a decision of a client of mine , this was the end of April 2016 , as I write the document still hasn’t arrived 2 subsequent calls has been made also , I have now complained to our area PIP partnership manager 2 weeks have passed without any reply , the whole process is obviously failing , falling on deaf ears of government with the poor claimant the ones suffering

Peter Turville
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Welfare rights worker - Oxford Community Work Agency

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front line advisers etc contacting us because their clients / they cannot get through to the new claim line, clients using up their credit etc.