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UC Computer system down AGAIN!
Just called UC helpline, unfortunately their system is down at the moment, could I call back in 2 hours?
Yes it was down yesterday and it was also down on Friday when I tried to call.
Frustrating for me ringing from the office, but unbelievable for claimants who are getting charged for these calls and are chasing up their money as destitute.
This needs raising as an urgent issue because I’m pretty sure Mr Crabbe said only 2 weeks ago that the computer system was coping just fine. Maybe he took his eye of things for a few weeks for some reason .....
Sarah - I’ve forwarded to operational stakeholders as another avenue to get the message through…
Thanks - now working again, seems to depend on call centre
Response from stakeholders -
Further to your email regarding problems with the UC system in early July. I have received confirmation that some of the DWP services experienced system performance issues in the period concerned. DWP pulled together a team of experts both internal and external to identify and fix the problems, working together to ensure the impact on DWP customers was minimised.
Are you still having problems or does it seem to have passed?
its more than frustrating it can actually turn a caseload into a nightmare fairly quickly when you cant clear relatively routine issues and they just go on to the pile to be dealt with later.
particularly frustrated by this as it took me an hour and a half on hold recently to make 3 calls to the dwp and that was with working systems.
It was down again yesterday. After 15 minutes of Vivaldi.
We are now recording and escalating EVERY issue we have with UC - helpline, housing costs processing, decision making. Apparently DWP said at a London UC conference that an issue has to be raised 100 times before it makes it onto a post it note!
This is turning into an absolute scandal isn’t it?
I’m having sleepless nights worrying about how we’re going to cope when the Full Monty hits us. It’s truly frightening.
Thanks for your responses - I will feed back - if you want to direct message me a copy of your log Sarah I will send that in too - I know may not do much but at least reinforces the message as many times as possible…
Thanks Daphne, will keep you in the loop - just got back off leave, and only just starting the log - so the entry for yesterday just reads ‘Aaaaargh’.
Cant wait to record my work three times - on AIMS, on rent system and on the new log! Yay!
I know its Friday and there is a great picture in this article - I cannot work out whether to laugh or cry
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2016/08/12/dwp_outage_universal_credit/?mt=1471019550436
“Universal Credit 24-hour outage was caused by upgrade glitch
Techies at hosting provider SCC throw an all-nighter to fix service crash
Gremlins that showed up during a planned upgrade to the Department of Work and Pensions’ systems brought down online services for more than 24 hours, sources have told The Register.”
Friday Lolz at the DWP’s suggestion that it is making ‘improvements’ to the system. The whole benefit system is, in my opinion, now totally dysfunctional ...
Maybe putting Gremlins in charge could make improvements?
Friday Lolz at the DWP’s suggestion that it is making ‘improvements’ to the system. The whole benefit system is, in my opinion, now totally dysfunctional ...
Maybe putting Gremlins in charge could make improvements?
First day back and 26 minutes listening to Vivaldi this morning already.
I agree; we need to put some gremlins into Caxton House then feed them after midnight.
I fear that somebody did this many years ago. They come out of hiding every time the DWP, in moments of hubris, forget how rubbish they are at benefits and administration. They appeared when the DWP tried to introduce a new computer system for Income Support and then at the introduction of DLA, ESA, their involvement with CSA and now PIP and UC. Every time, experienced benefit advisers say “here we go again” and the DWP promise, “No, we have learnt from previous mistakes”. To be fair, they have learnt from previous mistakes because the new ones they come up with always seem to be worse than before.
Deja Vu!
Firmly of the view that the system is not “down”. I believe they simply switch it off Thursday night and back on again on Monday so that the overheating fan on the Pentium II gets a chance to cool down.
Aside from the joking about, this is causing some serious problems for claimants.
HUNDREDS of vulnerable people in Scotland were left penniless and having to turn to food banks over the weekend after a controversial new online benefits system crashed.
Computer problems prevented payments getting to families, disabled and unemployed people across East Lothian, the first local authority in Scotland to roll out the full Digital Universal Credit Service, which has to be claimed online, and replaces previous benefits such as housing, jobseekers’ allowance and income support with a single monthly payment.
The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) said it was working to ensure that everyone received their benefits today but it was cold comfort for many who spent the weekend struggling to feed their families.
Aside from the joking about, this is causing some serious problems for claimants.
HUNDREDS of vulnerable people in Scotland were left penniless and having to turn to food banks over the weekend after a controversial new online benefits system crashed.
Computer problems prevented payments getting to families, disabled and unemployed people across East Lothian, the first local authority in Scotland to roll out the full Digital Universal Credit Service, which has to be claimed online, and replaces previous benefits such as housing, jobseekers’ allowance and income support with a single monthly payment.
The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) said it was working to ensure that everyone received their benefits today but it was cold comfort for many who spent the weekend struggling to feed their families.
ive tweeted that article to neil couling and see if i get a retweet of it
Friday Lolz at the DWP’s suggestion that it is making ‘improvements’ to the system. The whole benefit system is, in my opinion, now totally dysfunctional ...
Maybe putting Gremlins in charge could make improvements?
Brilliant Idea Sarah - lets get the midnight feasts ready!