Thu 25-Sep-08 08:35 AM by suelees

Don't know whether this has been on the site somewhere before but I came across it last night whilst surfing. It seems the Sunday Mail reported on it last week so I didn't know whether to believe it or not!!

http://www.benefitshelpline.com/index-1.html

Always good to know there are advisors out there who are up to date with 'DHSS' problems

Just how altruistic is a premium rate phone line?

Just me being sarky Trish

And if you're under 18 don't bother us!

I see the service provider is named as stealthnet, perhaps an appropriate name - steal thnet.

According to their website, http://www.stealthnet.co.uk/en/home, StealthNET are providers of Premium Rate telephony services. It appears that this has nothing to do with providing any sort of advice service, but just making a profit from desperate people calling on premium rate phone numbers.

Fri 26-Sep-08 08:18 AM by suelees

Bloody slugs.

I've just had a brief look at stealthnet and alrady my other persona Mrs Angry has surfaced her ugly head!!

I must do as they advertise and talktoadoctor or talktoacounsellor for £1.50 per minute to calm me down.

i've forwarded the link to staffordshire county council - trading standards...
looks like fraud to me, but exploiting the vulnerable and stupid could be pure entrepeneurialism in some books.

Fri 26-Sep-08 12:26 PM by Tony Bowman

We came across it some while ago, following an article by benefitsandwork. There's quite a bit of out of date and misleading info on their website. We are tempted to call it, but we didn't think our budget would stretch that far - although they do enquires my email!

How come they're all so good looking? I don't know any benefit advisers who look like that ...

and they're oh so professional looking

"How come they're all so good looking? I don't know any benefit advisers who look like that ... " You should come and work here!! lol!


Did anyone spot this from their 'legal disclaimer'?:

"We advise that you contact the ("DSS") benefits office for concise information relating to benefits".

This from a company whose headline includes:

"We can give totally impartial advice as Benefits Helpline is not affiliated with any government department/services"

and who claim that:

"The Benefits Helpline's tailored benefit service will allow you to obtain accurate and precise information regarding any benefit related queries"


JJ, did you get an answer from your regulatory services contact?

Companies House lists an address in Great Yarmouth. Activities are listed as:
Telecommunications and other computer related activities.

The companies house entry is, I think, for the company running the telephony system, and not for the organistation or invididual actually answering the phones.

no response yet, tony. i've sent another e-mail and i'll keep you posted. i contacted Staffordshire County Council because of the Tamworth PO box number.

Tue 30-Sep-08 01:45 PM by Ruth_T

This has really got under my skin now, so I did some research.

The Benefits Helpline is based at Comberford Hall, Comberford, Tamworth, B79 9BA. It uses the Post Office Box No. 11535.

Coincidentally, this is also the address for:

Auction Helpline Ltd
iHelpline Ltd
The Phone Helpline, and
Motoring Helpline.

The latter is particularly interesting. The staff pictured on their website at http://motoringhelpline.com/index-1.html look awfully familiar.

"...awfully familiar..." is a bit of an understatement Ruth. They're perfect clones. Not only that but the spiel about "blah blah blah in a timely manner is exactly the same.

I can't believe they can get away with it but it would be ineresting if someone with appropriate expertise would trawl through the various sites to see if it does comply.

Some sites give prior warnings about the length of calls and charges and in one part even mention the 20 min max call length "ICSTIS" permits - they've not even correctly amended the regulatory body's name to PhonePayPlus. They also make a point of stating on the sites that they're independent of the government.

The benefits helpline also gave info in the small print that ithe service provider was StealthNET Ltd but some of the sites don't mention it. Here for your delectation is that particular site

www.stealthnet.net/en/products

Very worrying. As with the benefits helpline, the service offered is "expert" and "skilled", but:

The information and advice provided in this service is in no way guaranteed to be accurate and all customers use this service at their own risk.

Referral to rogue traders or Which perhaps...? If they weren't so damned expensive, I'd mystery shop them myself (did that in a past like - most enlightening)!

re my complaint to Staffordshire County Council trading standards - it has been sent back to me with the advice to contact Birmingham Trading standards, which i have now done,,,
to be continued,,, : )

in the commons on 24 november 2008 -

Mary Creagh (Wakefield) (Lab): I wonder whether my right hon. Friend is aware of the website www.benefitshelpline.com, which is run by a company known as StealthNET, operating out of Great Yarmouth, and offers UK citizens benefit services for the price of £1.50 a minute on a premium rate call? Now that he is aware of this so-called service, will he take steps to ensure that legitimate UK Government paid-for services are privileged over this sort of thing on health search engines and internet search sites?

The Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Mr. Tony McNulty): My hon. Friend has already raised this particular issue with the Department. We need to make it clear that the Department makes advice on benefits and a wide range of other entitlements easily accessible to everyone through a variety of channels, including information leaflets, telephone helplines, websites and intermediaries. The loudest message needs to be that anyone requiring help on any aspect of the DWP’s work should go through those channels, not through premium line channels.

Not entirely helpful... The loudest message clearly being the wrong message: I never, ever, recommend that anyone requiring help about benefits go through government channels. At least, not without some independent and professional second opinions waiting in the background!! Although I do think some of the leaflets and adviser's guides are reasonably good.

Any significant response from trading standards yet JJ?

yeah Tony but it does say "...and intermediaries". Throw us a few sops eh!

Oh dear.... I better have some of that sop myself!!!

no significant response yet tony, but thanks for the reminder - i'm chasing it up and will keep you posted.

actualy i tried phoning but i hit the call centre buffer...

from hansard for yesterday ...

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions ... what representations he has received on the operations of a company called Benefits Helpline; and if he will make a statement. <255784>

Mr. McNulty: .... We are aware that other organisations promote benefits advice services on a commercial basis and have received a small number of representations. However, these services are not in themselves illegal, and it is the responsibility of the service Regulator to monitor their operation and to take action where necessary to control them.

message from Essex County Council Benefits -

'We are alerting partners to the existence of an organisation operating under the name of Benefits Helpline.

We have been informed by colleagues across the advice sector that this organisation is providing benefits advice through the use of premium cost rate telephone numbers at a considerable cost to the caller. In addition, internet searches for ‘benefits advice’ using search engines such as Google can direct you to some of the sites where this organisation is listed. Information on these sites directs you to contact this Benefits Helpline.

Please remind clients and service users that advice can be provided free of charge by a number of advice agencies ...

... We would like to alert all partners providing benefits advice that this premium cost Benefits Helpline is in no way connected to the Essex County Council Benefits Team Helpline.'

I think the mentions in Parliament have made them more circumspect.

The introductions sound as if they have been made much more "genuine" whatever service you want; motoring or benefits etc.

The fact is that the individual spends a minimum of £2.25 before they have to give lots of details about themselves which may double their cost before actually speaking to a human being...even a cloned one.