Rightsnet News item today

"Centralising the work, in 'Benefit Delivery Centres', will enable the DWP to deliver a 'faster, more efficient and consistent service to customers" the latest issue of 'Touchbase' reports -

i believe only one word of it...


!!!!!!

But surely the best bit is...

'As each centre goes live, customers and their representatives will be able to contact us about their benefit claim by calling an 0845 telephone number (or an 0800 number if applying for a Crisis Loan), or by post.

Customers unable to contact us by telephone can arrange an office interview or home visit.'

So, if you can't contact them by phone you can arrange an interview by contacting them by ESP or taking out an advert in the local press or shouting in the street and hoping a passing civil servant hears?

I find semaphore and carrier pigeon works best.

.........."Customers unable to contact us by telephone can arrange an office interview or home visit........"

That sentence should read

.........."Customers unable/unwilling to contact us by telephone can obtain a Benefit claim form for any under sixty's Benefit, and arrange an interview at their nearest Jobcentre Plus office, and we are obligated by Law to provide such a service......"

.........."Customers unable/unwilling to contact us by telephone can obtain a Benefit claim form for any under sixty's Benefit, and arrange an interview at their nearest Jobcentre Plus office, and we are obligated by Law to provide such a service......"

is what it should say...what they actually mean is...

Customers or their representatives who ring up and ask for a clerical claim form will be told that one will be sent out the following day BUT we will actually just ignore the phone call and nothing will be logged on the system....law? what law??

Or...Law, whats that then??

Like everyone else we were 'entertained' by the JcP spin. We nearly died laughing (or crying on behalf of our clients). Why not contact Rachel Albericci at the Centralisation of Benefit Processing Project to ask why the spin is so far removed from reality (see Sept edition of Touchbase) - rachel.albericci@dwp.gsi.gov.uk

Having had the former Sec of State DWP in our office describe the new system as 'a load of ****' and the district manager describe it in very similar terms one can only wonder on which planet the Centralisation project staff live.

An old quote from Benefits Agency days (remember them) but still worth dining out on:

"we dont have to follow the law, we have our own regulations"

LOL!

i hadn't heard that one... : ) i expect we've all met it though...

the twenty first century new improved version dispenses with 'their own regulations' in favour of 'the script'. i expect it's a matter of time before call centres are manned by AI bots...

how times have changed since i was a VO in the days of single payments. we had an ancient and venerable VO who did his own thing on payments for bedding...in addition to the prescribed amounts for sheets and blankets etc, he would award a sum to parents of 'bed-wetters' for a ground sheet "from Millets... it has a good tuck in...keep yer mattress dry..."

I was only a humble LOII - but remeber when Supp Ben was calculated by hand on one side of an A14N? - can't do means tested benefits & tax credits now without a PC calculation programme - and advice centre's could speak direct to an alpha section team leader - AAAAH THE GOOD OLD DAYS wasn't life simple!

And in those days most claims were done in 3 days! The A200 was dispathched to the council, and the calculations included Central heating allowances, diet allowances, and additional requirements for other health related issues, or extra large shoes or clothes....
And best of all no call centres, you spoke face to face with the customers.