× Search rightsnet
Search options

Where

Benefit

Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction

From

to

Forum Home  →  Discussion  →  Work capability issues and ESA  →  Thread

Telephone calls to DWP -on hold waiting time increasing again

 1 2 3 >  Last ›

CHC
forum member

Welfare rights team - St Mungo's Broadway

Send message

Total Posts: 169

Joined: 22 June 2010

I’m getting increasingly frustrated with the increase in waiting time to speak to someone at the DWP contact centre for ESA/IS/JSA at the moment.  At least 30 minutes.

Wait for UC helpline also increasing but not as bad.

Dan_Manville
forum member

Mental health & welfare rights service - Wolverhampton City Council

Send message

Total Posts: 2262

Joined: 15 October 2012

It is virtually impossible to deal with JCP now, 1 out of 3 calls I need to abandon because of a call of nature or something else more important coming up while I’m on hold, then if the query is anything out of the ordinary they do a 48 hour call back.

Usually I miss the call backs because I’m either out of the office visiting clients -I’m entirely home visit- or I’m sat on hold trying to get through to them about someone else.

Even as I type this I’m listening to that wretched hold music.

It is beyond ridiculous now!

Peter Turville
forum member

Welfare rights worker - Oxford Community Work Agency

Send message

Total Posts: 1659

Joined: 18 June 2010

Yep 40 mins+ each time last few days - mostly chasing up ESA for failure to implement tribunal decisions. I just received a call back from one of those calls - but the contact centre had given the benefit centre the wrong NiNo - so awaiting another call back.
[Goes into stationary cupboard, bangs head against wall, screams]

Jeremy Barker
forum member

Citizens Advice North Lincolnshire

Send message

Total Posts: 102

Joined: 7 September 2010

CHC - 08 June 2018 01:22 PM

I’m getting increasingly frustrated with the increase in waiting time to speak to someone at the DWP contact centre for ESA/IS/JSA at the moment.  At least 30 minutes.

Wait for UC helpline also increasing but not as bad.

I was on hold for UC Full Service for 30 minutes last week and had to abandon the call because my client had to leave.

From the other side
forum member

CRU/CARF-FIFE

Send message

Total Posts: 176

Joined: 22 April 2014

Last 4 calls have all been over 40 minutes wait and the worse aspect is that you know a call back is required even before speaking to the contact centre!

grant
forum member

Welfare rights adviser - Sefton CAB

Send message

Total Posts: 71

Joined: 18 June 2010

I wasn’t aware that waiting times had ever improved! Recent experience - telephone ESA, on hold approx. 35 mins. finally get through and ask to discuss client’s claim under implicit consent. I’m told they can’t do implicit consent unless my client is present. Whilst trying to explain that’s not how it works, the DWP advisor hangs up on me. I ring back the following day and try again and I’m told, after another lengthy wait that they won’t speak to me because I hung up on them the day before! Words fail me. End of Friday G rant

neilbateman
forum member

Welfare Rights Author, Trainer & Consultant

Send message

Total Posts: 443

Joined: 16 June 2010

Yesterday afternoon a client waited for 2 hours to get through to JCP before being cut off.

20 minute wait plus broken promises about call-backs are pretty standard.

Though I have to say, last week, a named person at Caerphilly Benefit Centre who is on the escalation list provided an exemplary and urgent response for a client who was without funds.  I phoned them after two 30minute waits and no call backs.

ROBBO
forum member

Welfare rights team - Stockport Advice

Send message

Total Posts: 334

Joined: 16 June 2010

Looks like DWP have finally sorted this out….

Phoned up today and got a message urging me to hang up, because of high call volume.

I wonder how many times in the week there WON’T be high call volume?

Dan_Manville
forum member

Mental health & welfare rights service - Wolverhampton City Council

Send message

Total Posts: 2262

Joined: 15 October 2012

As I sit here on hold…

One of the call centre operatives explained to me recently that this is the rough side of having free calls to JCP; there’s no disincentive to people sitting on hold waiting to speak to them for spurious reasons and the call volume has skyrocketed.

Yes it’s probably saved my service someone’s salary in phone bills but that’s little comfort when my ears are bleeding after 34 minutes on the latest call.

Peter Turville
forum member

Welfare rights worker - Oxford Community Work Agency

Send message

Total Posts: 1659

Joined: 18 June 2010

Dan Manville - 12 June 2018 10:58 AM

As I sit here on hold…

One of the call centre operatives explained to me recently that this is the rough side of having free calls to JCP; there’s no disincentive to people sitting on hold waiting to speak to them for spurious reasons and the call volume has skyrocketed.

Yes it’s probably saved my service someone’s salary in phone bills but that’s little comfort when my ears are bleeding after 34 minutes on the latest call.

I been given that explanation several times now. Apparently they are pulling staff off processing to answer the increased volume of calls. With the roll out of UC staff compliment for legacy benefits its unlikely to be increased to cope with more calls.

Paul_Treloar_AgeUK
forum member

Information and advice resources - Age UK

Send message

Total Posts: 3196

Joined: 7 January 2016

Dan Manville - 12 June 2018 10:58 AM

As I sit here on hold…

One of the call centre operatives explained to me recently that this is the rough side of having free calls to JCP; there’s no disincentive to people sitting on hold waiting to speak to them for spurious reasons and the call volume has skyrocketed.

Yes it’s probably saved my service someone’s salary in phone bills but that’s little comfort when my ears are bleeding after 34 minutes on the latest call.

I’d actually contend that it’s the rough side of trying to run a telephone helpline with insufficient staff numbers Dan, whilst similtaneously undertaking some of the most significant welfare reforms in the last 50 years.

Dan_Manville
forum member

Mental health & welfare rights service - Wolverhampton City Council

Send message

Total Posts: 2262

Joined: 15 October 2012

Paul_Treloar_AgeUK - 12 June 2018 11:58 AM

I’d actually contend that it’s the rough side of trying to run a telephone helpline with insufficient staff numbers Dan, whilst similtaneously undertaking some of the most significant welfare reforms in the last 50 years.

That was the old 20 minute hold times.

Oh how I long for those days.

Oh my god 30 minutes! edit; I was just hunkering down for another 15 minutes and they picked up. The irony is that I mustn’t have hit save when I inputted the NINo yesterday. Kill me now!

[ Edited: 14 Jun 2018 at 10:12 am by Dan_Manville ]
Peter Turville
forum member

Welfare rights worker - Oxford Community Work Agency

Send message

Total Posts: 1659

Joined: 18 June 2010

new record (for us) for UC yesterday - 46 mins. As UC roll out continues the wait seems to get longer each time we phone. Add that to the longer waits for ESA etc.

There was an item on the radio yesterday about the classical music awards and praising the DWP for introducing Vivaldi to a wider audience - Ahhhhhh! Ahhhhhh!! Ahhhhh!!!

From the other side
forum member

CRU/CARF-FIFE

Send message

Total Posts: 176

Joined: 22 April 2014

On hold for 61 minutes the other day and I then had to put phone down!!

I dread any phone calls re ESA now!

Dan_Manville
forum member

Mental health & welfare rights service - Wolverhampton City Council

Send message

Total Posts: 2262

Joined: 15 October 2012

Peter Turville - 14 June 2018 10:25 AM

There was an item on the radio yesterday about the classical music awards and praising the DWP for introducing Vivaldi to a wider audience - Ahhhhhh! Ahhhhhh!! Ahhhhh!!!

There’s and “and finally” for You and Yours when Carolyn gets back from her holiday; frustrated Welfs finally go bonkers after Classical Music Awards…

From the other side - 14 June 2018 11:03 AM

I dread any phone calls re ESA now!

You’re not the only one.

Pete at CAB
forum member

Welfare Benefits Adviser’ for Citizens Advice Cornwall

Send message

Total Posts: 380

Joined: 12 December 2017

From the other side - 14 June 2018 11:03 AM

On hold for 61 minutes the other day and I then had to put phone down!!

I dread any phone calls re ESA now!

52 minutes in hold to ESA last Monday!