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Help needed
There was a link on a thread showing the address and post codes for the Post handling centre in Wolverhampton and I can’t find it
any one help (Shawn? pls)
We’ve just received this link, all going to be just fine now
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/dwp-postal-addresses.pdf
Mail opening is modernised
1. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is modernising how it receives and processes post which has resulted in changes to office postal addresses. Details are provided to ensure that any correspondence is correctly addressed and avoids any unnecessary delays.
2. From August 2013, a single service, known as the Agility Platform, which is part of DWP’s Infrastructure Modernisation Programme, has been providing the capacity to open, scan and index post on receipt. Processing staff are notified when a scanned image is available for action.
3. To deliver this service, post for most DWP offices is now managed within two new mail opening units (MOUs) in Kidderminster and Telford. In addition, the units are also providing a post opening and distribution service for other business areas, some of which will transfer to the scanning process.
My understanding, speaking to friends still at Birkenhead BC, is that there is no facility currently for processing staff to see scanned images and so work on them. As far as they are concerned, they still receive hard copy correspondence, only it is delayed because of the time it takes to get to Wolverhampton, and then back to Birkenhead. Indeed, local DWP email a month or two back advised everyone not to advise clients to send new ESA claims in the post, because it was taking 8 days to arrive (the advice was to take the forms to the nearest Jobcentre, to be sent in internal courier mail).
We were visited by an external assessor who was assessing our part of the council for customer service excellence, and who also visited DWP sites. He had been told by DWP HQ in Sheffield about the scanning, so took our “evidence” back on his next visit there, and they confirmed that the local offices could not accept scanned images yet.
Wirral Council uses front end scanning for all incoming HB/CTS documents, and very useful it is too. If it were genuinely available to the DWP staff, I think the frequency with which we are told that letters have not been received would reduce dramatically
Although that would have a negative impact on “off-flow” where claims are closed due to (alleged) non-receipt of claimant correspondence, so don’t expect it to be introduced any time soon!