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Top Policy topic #469

Subject: "Benefit Information Service?" First topic | Last topic
Semitone
                              

welfare rights officer, Redcar & Cleveland Welfare Rights
Member since
22nd Jan 2004

Benefit Information Service?
Thu 02-Nov-06 01:28 PM

Can anyone inform us if they've heard of the above. A letter from its director has appeared in our local paper highlighting the availability of thr SDP and encouraging those who beleive they're entitled to telephone 08456 120 474. We have no idea who this organisation is and google brought up zilch.
The article also states

"So how do you know if you are missing out on this extra money? well you could telephone the DWP and wait for your call to be answered by one of their pleasant call centre staff who probably don't know what you are talking about"

Personally I hate the callcentre system for its treatment of clients but this seems to me an unneccessary and unhelpful jibe. The system 's the culprit and I don't slag off those told to look only at the screens.

  

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Replies to this topic
RE: Benefit Information Service?, fkaGerry2, 02nd Nov 2006, #1
RE: Benefit Information Service?, Semitone, 03rd Nov 2006, #2
      RE: Benefit Information Service?, claire hodgson, 03rd Nov 2006, #3
      RE: Benefit Information Service?, fkaGerry2, 03rd Nov 2006, #4
RE: Benefit Information Service?, bell, 07th Nov 2006, #5
RE: Benefit Information Service?, shawn, 07th Nov 2006, #6
      RE: Benefit Information Service?, nevip, 07th Nov 2006, #7
           RE: Benefit Information Service?, Mick, 07th Nov 2006, #8
                RE: Benefit Information Service?, billmcc, 07th Nov 2006, #9
                     RE: Benefit Information Service?, Gareth Morgan, 07th Nov 2006, #10
                          RE: Benefit Information Service?, Semitone, 08th Nov 2006, #11
RE: Benefit Information Service?, jef imrie, 27th Nov 2007, #12

fkaGerry2
                              

Deputy Manager, Sheffield Advice Link
Member since
20th Dec 2005

RE: Benefit Information Service?
Thu 02-Nov-06 04:21 PM

Have you tried ringing that number?

The technique (but not the name) seems familiar. In a previous example of an organisation writing letters to local papers and advertising in them and so on, it turned out that they were touting for people willing to allow this service to take up their case for a fee...

I think there might have been a rightsnet thread at the time, too.

  

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Semitone
                              

welfare rights officer, Redcar & Cleveland Welfare Rights
Member since
22nd Jan 2004

RE: Benefit Information Service?
Fri 03-Nov-06 08:52 AM

We phoned the number yesterday and today to be greeted by an ansaphone message to the effect that the office is closed due to sickness. Ironic really given what the newspaper article had to say about callcentre staff.

What you said about this happening before is probably right. We thought the same and searched our old files. In 2002 there was someone called DAIS touting for buisness on a "no win no fee" basis. The directors name, the same name of the director of Benefit Information Services.

  

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claire hodgson
                              

Solicitor, Askews Solicitors, Thornaby, Stockton on Tees
Member since
17th May 2005

RE: Benefit Information Service?
Fri 03-Nov-06 10:22 AM

definitely sounds like a 'claims management company' to me......

  

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fkaGerry2
                              

Deputy Manager, Sheffield Advice Link
Member since
20th Dec 2005

RE: Benefit Information Service?
Fri 03-Nov-06 01:54 PM

DAIS! How can I have forgotten? I was working for DIAL UK at the time and one of our member centres was also called DAIS - caused us some problems I now recall.

Not so much a senior moment - it's this entire bloody millennium...

  

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bell
                              

MHS benefit advisor, mhs homes chatham kent
Member since
07th Nov 2006

RE: Benefit Information Service?
Tue 07-Nov-06 04:19 PM

I was intrested in your email regarding benefit information service. I phoned the number and got through to a lady apparently that benefit information services is the name of the company and they are based in lanchashire. They are not a part of the goverment or cab office but a independant company . It seems that you phone up and request a pack and once received you fill in the questionaire and return once it has been received there company director paul brennon will look at the questionaire and write back to you with what you can claim and how to go about it . I have requested a pack to see what is in it. According to the lady they have had a lot of intrest from people who have seen the newspaper which is quite worrying.

  

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shawn
                              

editorial director, rightsnet
Member since
28th Jul 2005

RE: Benefit Information Service?
Tue 07-Nov-06 04:35 PM

DAIS website @ http://freespace.virgin.net/dais.uk/Information_about_DAIS.htm

  

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nevip
                              

welfare rights adviser, sefton metropolitan borough council, liverpool.
Member since
22nd Jan 2004

RE: Benefit Information Service?
Tue 07-Nov-06 04:50 PM

My reply to this is completely unprintable. At least before the watershed!!

Earning money (wages) from advice work is one thing. We all need to make a living. Taking a cut of people's benefits is quite another.

  

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Mick
                              

IB New Claims Team Leader, JCP Bradford BDC
Member since
28th Sep 2006

RE: Benefit Information Service?
Tue 07-Nov-06 05:54 PM

Info about this company from Companies House-

Name & Registered Office:
BENEFIT INFORMATION SERVICES LIMITED
GROVE HOUSE LANGTON BROW
THE GREEN ECCLESTON
CHORLEY
LANCASHIRE PR7 5PD
Company No. 05771730




Status: Active
Date of Incorporation: 06/04/2006

Country of Origin: United Kingdom

Company Type: Private Limited Company
Nature of Business (SIC(03)):
None Supplied

Accounting Reference Date: 31/03
Last Accounts Made Up To: (NO ACCOUNTS FILED)
Next Accounts Due: 31/01/2008
Last Return Made Up To:
Next Return Due: 04/05/2007

Previous Names:
No previous name information has been recorded over the last 20 years.

Branch Details
There are no branches associated with this company.

Oversea Company Info
There are no Oversea Details associated with this company



  

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billmcc
                              

Manager, Dumfries Welfare Rights
Member since
19th Jan 2004

RE: Benefit Information Service?
Tue 07-Nov-06 09:10 PM

They would only take a cut if you gain at appeal or they identify a new claim I assume.

The advert did appear in our local paper last year saying they were a local advice agency (Not true).

If they help people get what they should be getting good luck to them.

The sad facts remains people will pay for quality advice rather that wait days / months or deal with a basic trained volunteer.

  

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Gareth Morgan
                              

Managing Director, Ferret Information Systems, Cardiff
Member since
20th Feb 2004

RE: Benefit Information Service?
Tue 07-Nov-06 10:12 PM

I don't have a problem if people pay for advice providing that they understand the options for advice that are available, the price is fair and they get good quality advice.

The problem with advice is that there isn't enough of it available, it's not in the right places and it's of variable quality.

There's no rule that says all advice from the 3rd sector or public sources is good and all from the for-profit sector is bad. Too mamny people seem to believe that's the case, though.

Experience has shown though (remember Owls?) that some for-profit advice givers are driven more by commercial aims than the quality of work.

  

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Semitone
                              

welfare rights officer, Redcar & Cleveland Welfare Rights
Member since
22nd Jan 2004

RE: Benefit Information Service?
Wed 08-Nov-06 08:41 AM

We did some more digging. Because the letter from Benefit Information Services appeared in the letters column we did a search through Google and Yahoo. The results were interesting. Numerous papers all around the country have ran letters(in the letter columns) from Benefit Information Services over the years and there were references to Dais and to another organisation The Disability Network going as far back as 1996.

The letters will focus on something happening in the benefits system at the time and invite readers to telephone for free benefit checks. Personally I find some of the letters close to the knuckle. Theres one that talks of the DWP testing telephone calls for stress and possible fraud which could scare the hell out of some clients and I think could deter some people from claiming.

There's never any mention of their fee charging services. Presumably the papers concerned beleive it to be nothing more than a free benefits check. One wonders how they might feel if they knew they were helping to promote a private company on the cheap. Got to admit its a neat way to publicise yourself without having to pay Advertisers rates.

  

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jef imrie
                              

advice worker, west view advice centre Hartlepool
Member since
27th Nov 2007

RE: Benefit Information Service?
Tue 27-Nov-07 03:32 PM

This organisation has leafleted houses in Hartlepool area. One of my clients brought in their flyer and we rang the local number (but didn't keep a record of it) Person answering the call stated they were based in Chorley, were well established and had an 88% success record at Tribunal!!! Don't know where as they have never been to my local venue and Tribunal Service have never heard of them. Don't know if they charge fees or are a free service. Their office base address is :-
Benefit Information Services Limited
Coppull enterprise Centre
Mill lane
Coppull
Chorley
PR7 5BW

Tel: 0845 6120 474
fax: 01257 791911

Registered company no: 5771730


Jef Imrie West View Advice Centre Hartlepool 01429 271275

  

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Top Policy topic #469First topic | Last topic