Or SSCSAASCs as they will presumably be known. (They really need a descriptive word that doesn't start in S, C or A.)

Our support moved from the Birmingham office of The Tribunals Service to the Birmingham Administrative Support Centre recently and I have been noticing a deterioration in service. Several times this week I've been waiting for over 5 mins for them to pick up the phone (can't remember that ever happening before) and there appear to be procedural differences happening, eg clients getting letters which are not being copied to rep.

Anyone else having trouble?

Sue

Fri 10-Oct-08 06:38 PM by Ruth_T

Yes. The nearest tribunal venue to us is in Kettering, about 7 miles away. Since the new (lack of) Support Centre opened, we have had almost all our appeals listed in Northampton which is 24 miles away and the journey to which takes an hour and a half on the bus. We have had them postponed with a promise of relisting, but the delay in hearing will be at least 6 weeks.

When they did manage to list 2 hearings on the same day in Kettering, one was at 10 am and the other at 2 pm. We have persuaded them to rearrange so that at least they are now in the same session, but it's all hassle.

It's all part of the "simplification" process. And, everything is going to be alright.....

In light of a number of examples over, particularly, the last year, I simply despair at the level of incompetence and stupidity of those responsible for administering benefits (DWP & LAs) as well as those who deal with the admin relating to appeals.

Having been in HB/CTB for more than 20 years, it is shocking that so much has changed, yet so little has changed. Appalling. Those responsible should be ashamed. But they probably won't be.

Er, rant over.

Kevin
(very dispirited of planet benefits)

Ruth
your problem with venues miles away from the normal one arose here as well, not too long ago. Itseems that some clerks, who could be considered to be geographically challenged, look at the postcode and then take a guess at where the client actually lives. Most of our area is covered by the PE 30 range of codes, but we also cover PE 13 & 14.
My clients living within those codes were being listed at Peterborough, (30 miles away) whilst the local centre is only 11 miles away in Kings Lynn.

Whether you also receive the paperwork at the same time as the client is another matter - If it's Wembley then far less chance than if you are dealing with Blackpool: although I have to admit that I have had a flurry of award/decision notifications lately.

Kevin - nothing ever changes - it can't, because the end product will always be the same - the delivery of some form of Benefit - the names change, the method of delivery changes and becomes more technical - with the increased risk of foul ups. As far as responsibility for administration goes, remember you only get what you pay for.........

With the economic situation not looking too good, and unemployment looking set to rise noticably, one does now wonder whether making 30,000 DWP staff redundant was such a good idea after all - there are stories surfacing of extra staff being taken on......