I was on the phone to Canterbury BDC this afternoon and this is (really) a summary of what I was told by the telephony operator...

Income Support is a 'stop-gap' benefit for people who are not habitually resident. The Jobcentre has nothing do with habitual residence and entitlement to income support is decided by the home office so, to chase up an appeal that's been outstanding for 8 months, the client will have to call the Home Office in Wick.

I didn't even begin to contemplate putting him right...

Recent call to Bury St Edmunds BDC to ask a DM to phone me about a letter I'd written. Not sure what the call handler had been taking (or perhaps it was Witgensteinian logic) but the conversation went like this:

DWP: "Someone will call you back within 48 working hours".

Me: "But that's a week".

DWP: "Sorry I only say that on Fridays".

Me: "But today is Monday and even on a Friday that would still be wrong".

DWP:"Why?".

Me" Because you mean two working days".

DWP: "Oh, yes I suppose I do".

speechless.

but recovering, a letter to client's MP might not go amiss, to show what b******* dwp staff talk these days through lack of training etc...etc...