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Forum Home  →  Discussion  →  Access to justice and advice sector issues  →  Thread

Apollo List

clive
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Newcastle Council Welfare Rights

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Total Posts: 122

Joined: 22 June 2010

It appears the DWP are limiting the amount of users to 10 per organisation: this means that this has significantly impacted upon our Welfare Rights Service - as last in the queue.

We did not know that this was happening until we were ringing the DWP and being told that we were no longer on the list.

We have asked our Rev+ Bens ask the DWP to exercise discretion and to increase that number for us.

In the meantime, what impact/effect this has had elsewhere and if any other LA or organisation have been successful in extending the list above 10 users?

Thoughts/suggestions gratefully received

Thank you

Benny Fitzpatrick
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Welfare Rights Officer, Southway Housing Trust, Manchester

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Are they still using this gatekeeping excercise? I thought the “Apollo List” became obsolete some years ago, although I still occasionally encounter DWP call handlers who will try to use it as an excuse not to deal with calls. I usually find querying the existence of the list, coupled with a request to speak to a manager, ends the nonsense.

clive
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Newcastle Council Welfare Rights

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Thank you.

Is anyone else having problems speaking to e.g. PIP and them refusing to speak to you?

did anyone else use Apollo list to get to speak to them?

Or does everyone have to threaten to speak to the manager in order to get them to speak to you?

Benny Fitzpatrick
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Welfare Rights Officer, Southway Housing Trust, Manchester

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Here’s a link to the official guidance:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-with-representatives-guidance-for-dwp-staff/working-with-representatives-guidance-for-dwp-staff

The Apollo list as I understand it is for LA (Housing) staff who need to access claimant details. (Therefore as a HA Welf I am not on it). However, this should not be used as a pretext to refuse to speak to a representative (as not all will be on the list). As the guidance explains, there are alternative methods of establishing security clearance. If DWP (or outsourced) call centre staff are not exploring the alternatives, particularly when requested by a representative, this is a matter for escalation to a manager, as they are not doing their job correctly.

As a side-issue:-I’m wondering if limiting the numbers on the list is legally defensible? Any comments?

BC Welfare Rights
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The Brunswick Centre, Kirklees & Calderdale

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Thanks for this Clive, I now can’t stop the following ditty running through my head

You will be fine (you will be fine)
Appollo 9 (Apollo 9)
But no more than 10
That’s way out of line (out of line)

Dress me in braiding and send me back to the 1980s

NW
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Welfare Rights Team Redcar and Cleveland Council

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Joined: 21 July 2015

Hi Clive,

I just wondered if you had any success with this issue.

Our entire WR team was removed from Tuesday. We have now been told that there is a max of 10 users and we need Searchlight access to be eligible for the Apollo. Does your team currently have Searchlight and has this caused any issues?

Thanks

clive
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Newcastle Council Welfare Rights

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Hi. Yes were told only 10 (and obv not WRS) but Searchlight not mentioned. Will continue to press locally to be inlcuded