Hello all

Does your organisation regularly see clients who can't afford to ring government 0845 or 0800 numbers, or run up debts doing so, because they only have a mobile phone?

92% of CABx say that they "frequently" see clients in this position. For this reason, 65 CABx in Northern England have been co-operating on a campaign to reduce the cost of calling government on a mobile.

The report, 'Hung UP', is published next week, and you can see an advance copy at www.leedscab.org.uk/forms/hungupreport.pdf

It makes a couple of recommendations which, though modest and inexpensive, could make our clients' lives a great deal easier.

We have been given the impression by government that this is a 'winnable' campaign, but needs further public pressure. An earlier attempt at solving this issue by the Social Security Advisory Committee failed, because its efforts were insufficiently publicised.

WHAT CAN I DO?
Please, please, if you think this is an issue for your clients, write to your local MP to say so, and ask them to sign Early Day Motion 1576, 'The Financial Cost of Contacting Government'.

A model letter is available at http://hungupresources.blogspot.com/2009/06/model-letter-to-mps.html

If you want to send them a paper copy of the report, get in touch: tom.royston@leedscab.org.uk and we will send you one. If you have any questions or comments, again, please do get in touch.

Thanks, and best wishes,

Tom Royston

Don't forget the SAYNOTO0870.COM website

The site lists many well known companies, and their equivalent geographical numbers.

Alternatives listed for 0800, 0808, 0844, 0845, 0870 and 0871 numbers including various DWP numbers.

Hi Gareth

Thanks for your comment. The saynoto0870 website is certainly useful for mobile phone users, especially when calling commercial organisations.

Unfortunately, its coverage of government numbers is a bit patchy and often out of date - for example, the crisis loans geographic numbers it gives are obsolete.

More significantly, it is not of course free to call the alternate geographic numbers from a mobile and the main benefit claim lines, being 0800 numbers, are supposed to be free to call.

This is why our recommendations are focussed on the need for government to make changes to its own helplines, rather than simply publicising alternatives.

Best wishes

Tom Royston
Leeds CAB

There's a piece on the CAB campaign in today's Observer:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2009/jun/14/0845-pushing-poor-people-debt

The campaign was also the main feature on today's BBC2 'Working Lunch' programme.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00lbkyy/Working_Lunch_16_06_2009/

Just spent 13mins 24 secs on hold whilst the clientwas sitting with me wanting to make a query with the benfit processing centre

One of our advisers rang the BDC 10 times and on the first nine was told all lines busy, ring again later. On the tenth he got put in a queue which was answered after holding for 10 minutes. No record of how long the whole procedure took.