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Forum Home  →  Discussion  →  Universal credit administration  →  Thread

Explicit Consent

Bcfu
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Blackpool Centre For Unemployed

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Total Posts: 204

Joined: 9 July 2020

Hi,

Hoping someone can help.

I am having significant problems with trying to resolve UC issues even when explicit consent is given. I have two current clients which I am experiencing problems with.

The first client is a telephone claimant, I telephoned the UC helpline with her and she gave them explicit consent for me to act on her behalf. Unfortunately, the staff agent was useless and didn’t give me any information so I had to phone up again on another day without the client but was told I did not have consent - how long does consent last for a telephone claim?

My second client is an online client, she gave consent in her journal to act on her behalf and I put a second message on asking for them to call me due to a number of concerns I had (I did raise wider questions regarding how many budgeting loans can one person have - she has 14). We got a message back saying they would not speak to me without her being present at the call. The client suffers from severe anxiety and will not speak to the DWP even with me present - she only came to see me after weeks of counselling from another organisation. Is this normal practice?

Thanks

Adam

Helen Rogers
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Welfare rights officer - Stockport MBC

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Joined: 17 June 2010

I am also having huge problems with explicit consent.  I find very few UC staff understand it properly.  I find I’m having to approach the local Partnership Manager just to get simple queries answered -  not very satisfactory for me or them.

Andrew Dutton
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Welfare rights service - Derbyshire County Council

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I can’t offer any useful tactics. From the start I’ve called it ‘Operation: Obstruct’ and If anything, things have got worse. DWP has never replied to criticism from the Information Commissioner and has never amended its policy. in the name of protecting claimants’ data, advisers are shut out while online fraudsters have had a ball.

Just made a complaint to an MP that:

‘We have asked DWP on several occasions to think about a ‘Trusted Partner’ approach to UC authorisation – I have sometimes been in the ludicrous position of being refused information on UC claims by someone from DWP who not only knows this organisation and its work but has met me face to face, and knows the enquiry is perfectly legitimate. Even when we have presented online authorisation we have been told it is ‘out of date’ (in spite of a clear statement from the claimant that the authorisation remains valid ‘until I instruct otherwise’) or is otherwise not acceptable, often without the relevant problem being made clear. We have asked for clarification of what online wording would help, but have never received a reply.

If DWP had a regularly-audited list of authorised, trusted third party organisations and an agreed authorisation format (HMRC did something similar for Tax Credits)it would save a great deal of work for all concerned, and much frustration for claimants.’

Jo_Smith
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Citizens Advice Hillingdon

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Bcfu - 20 August 2021 04:39 PM

I am having significant problems with trying to resolve UC issues even when explicit consent is given.

You and couple of thousands of advisers, reps, family members, Social Workers etc. I know it is not a a solution to your problem to be told this but you are not alone and DWP people often come to read this forum.
I hope that this drip drip drip of information will result in improvements to frontline staff training.

Personally I am going to submit a complaint each and every time I encounter unreasonable barrier. DWP is after all famous for their “test and learn” approach.  Right…?

Bcfu
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Blackpool Centre For Unemployed

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Total Posts: 204

Joined: 9 July 2020

Jo_Smith - 23 August 2021 01:58 PM
Bcfu - 20 August 2021 04:39 PM

I am having significant problems with trying to resolve UC issues even when explicit consent is given.

You and couple of thousands of advisers, reps, family members, Social Workers etc. I know it is not a a solution to your problem to be told this but you are not alone and DWP people often come to read this forum.
I hope that this drip drip drip of information will result in improvements to frontline staff training.

Personally I am going to submit a complaint each and every time I encounter unreasonable barrier. DWP is after all famous for their “test and learn” approach.  Right…?

I know you say its not a solution but that is really helpful. As a newish adviser, I thought I might be doing something wrong so its nice (if thats even the right word!) to be told its not me being unreasonable.

Luckily, one of the client’s issue has now been resolved but I agreed with my other one to go down the complaint route.