Sorry to raise this issue again but our local DWP office is quoting the Data
Protection Act and is refusing to access any clients details. We cannot even order an IS form or an entitlement letter without the client being with us. As we are an organisation which is primarily a telephone advice line for people with disabilities we are going to be seriously hampered by their actions.

They say the rules have changed regarding talking to reps but will not send us a copy. We are contacting our local MP. Is anyone else now being quoted this change in policy?

At the last meeting with managers locally we were notified of an increase in security questions to stop potential breaches in security. The Reps guide is dated June 07 on the DWP website: http://www.dwp.gov.uk/advisers/repsguide.pdf

Cheers Chris
I have checked the link and its the latest one we have. We have a meeting with our MP on Saturday morning and we shall ask him if he will ask the Minister if he's authorised changes in policy. Obviously we will keep everyone posted. Also we have the DWP forum next week so watch this space.

I've just had a conversation with a BDC telephone operator who advised that about 6 weeks ago they brought in a new protocol called ICT, in which security questions have to be succesfully answered before information can be divulged. This, it seems, is regardless of 'implied consent' within 'Working with Customer Representatives'.

Another BDC we deal with has taken a far more pragmatic approach and we don't have a problem. Is this local interpretation of ambigous guidance?

Ask them which section of the DP Act and why it applies. They may become less confident.

A team leader in Newcastle BDC confirmed that the new procedure with set security questions was for use only when staff were talking to a claimant and were not intended for use when talking to reps. She even said, without prompting, that staff should use implicit consent for reps and seemed downhearted when I told her it was still a problem.

At the DWP forum in Birmingham on Wed, Roger Pugh and Kim Archer both said that reps should be writing in and complaining when implicit consent will not even be considered by telephony staff.

We still sometimes have problems with the contact centre when trying to get claim forms sent out but will keep on raising this issue.

It would appear that from the various responses to implied consent provided by DBC's, that the recent batch of trainees into JCP has hit the frontline.

I too was at last weeks DWP forum and agree that two senior DWP officials both agreed that the ignoring of complied consent or rather insisting further security is required, should not be necessary.

Further to this, if an ICT protocol has been introduced, why was it not passed through the JCP CRG ?

Finally a number of people also in attendance at last weeks meeting, also reported similar issues when contacting their local BDC's on behalf of their clients.

For information, herewith a reply from Neil Couling to whom we copied the recent postings on implied consent.......

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Mike

There has been no change of policy. The ICT, or Information Capture Tool, is an excel built spreadsheet which allows customers to give us information once and then automatically fires it to the different bits of DWP that need to know. In that sense I hope it will be welcomed by our customers - if we can make this work it could enhance the service we offer.

As the Government (although not specifically DWP I'm relieved to say) has, since the child benefit data loss, been criticised about data handling, I ensured that a series of security questions are asked as part of the process for collecting the information from the customer. These are not new but I feared that they were not always being asked. ICT ensures they now are by embedding them in the tool.

But that should not have cut across the implied consent proceedures (as some on the thread correctly pointed out). So I'll take a quick look and issue some reminders if required.

Neil Couling