DWP phone line - now useless?

just phoned 0845 608 8630, our usual number for on-going benefit claims enquiries. Confronted by a completely new system. Claimant has to:
- enter the 6 digits from NINO
- enter date of birth (in 8 digits)
- pick a memorable date (in 8 digits)
- pick a 4 digit PIN no.

After all that you get a message stating all advisers are busy and the call then ends, although the voice ‘helpfully’ suggests ‘you may wish to visit our web site direct.gov.uk’. it wasn’t like that last week!

Just tried it - it gives 2 initial options, 1 for benefit queries and 2 for something else (didn’t really listen), press 1 and get further 3 options - 1 if you are the claimant, in which case it does ask for all that info, 2 if you are an appointee, which I didn’t try and 3 if you are ringing on behalf of the claimant in which case it just goes through to the usual queue..

The number we usually ring is 0845 608 8642 and that hasn’t changed - yet.

Ooh, that seems to work, thanks Rosie!

Just for information

I had someone who forgot the pin number and hence didn’t get past the automated stystem.  Very little information on the system to tell someone what to do in these circumstances.  After no money for 4 weeks they phoned us.

I phoned JC+ and asked what the procrdure was if someone forgot thir number.  The answer I got was…

“If they fail the sucurity system three times on the same day, they will get a phone back from the processing office”. 

i said, what if they phoned twice on one day and thn again the next day?  The reply….“No good, the failure has to be three times on the same day.  the claimant can phone three times, one after another and as soon as three failures are recorded, a call back will be arranged”

You couldn’t make it up!

I dont see the problems. Conisistency is the key here.
The DWP have been pretty much useless for years and they are just updating their phone system to bring that in line with the rest of that shower.