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Government says UC helpline operators do not use ‘deflection scripts’ but have ‘supportive lines available’

Daphne
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Point of order raised in the House of Commons yesterday concerning an inadequate response to a FOI request about ‘deflection scripts’ used by UC operators -

On a point of order, Mr Speaker. Following the revelation by a former universal credit helpline employee that call handlers are instructed to use “deflection scripts” to hurry people off the phone when they have phoned up for help with universal credit, my office submitted a freedom of information request to the Department for Work and Pensions to ask to see the scripts. The response I received was that there are no scripts, but that there are “agent-led processes” and “supportive lines available”. The Department did not provide any detail of those lines, which was the clear intention of the FOI request. I do not think that the Department should be able to use semantics to avoid scrutiny. I have requested a review of the response and asked whether I could be provided with the relevant materials.

Stuart
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Response to a written question requesting publication of ‘agent led processes and supportive lines’ from Employment Minister Alok Sharma -

Agent Led Processes (ALP’s) are low level business processes, designed to work as part of the Universal Credit service. They are embedded into the service and do not stand alone as separate guidance or instructions to staff.

The “Digital Channel Product is a guide which has been developed for Service Centre staff to use during telephone calls, to encourage claimants to check and use their online account as an alternative method of contacting the Department. The product gives staff some suggested ways to introduce a discussion regarding the online digital service with claimants.

 

shawn mach
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Sky News has obtained a “deflection script” which confirms Universal Credit call agents were officially told to refer claimants online instead of addressing their concerns on the phone.

The claims had been dismissed by the Department for Work and Pensions as “completely false” after our initial report in October, when a former Universal Credit case manager came forward to lift the lid on the controversial practice.

The documents reveal that the “deflection scripts” were introduced in November 2016 to “support staff during telephone calls”.

More: https://news.sky.com/story/deflection-script-used-to-get-universal-credit-claimants-off-the-phone-emerges-11624331

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Examples of the deflection script in action from the universal credit helplines debate today where Labour MP Danielle Rowley said -

Since obtaining the deflection script documents, I have had discussions with a former case manager ... he explained to me that really it only hinted at how much it was expected of call handlers to deflect people online. ... if someone called and asked to make a change over the phone, they would be told no by default. No matter what reason the caller gave, whether disability, bereavement or lack of digital skills, they would always be asked the same questions: “Do you have a mobile device?”, “Do you have any friends or family who can help?” and “Can you get to the library?”...

“We were trained to never help callers on the phone unless it was going to lead to a manager call or complaint. If you did make the change, there was a risk of failing a ‘CEF’ check, in which a manager would listen to the call and rate it based on several elements of the call, with ‘following the deflection script’ being part of that criteria”....

Staff are being marked against deflecting people online. Some of that may now have changed, likely because of media coverage and pressure, but given the Government’s absolute lack of transparency on this issue, it is unclear what has changed, how much has changed and when changes have happened or are likely to happen…

Employment Minister Alok Sharma’s response includes -

... the document says clearly that staff must use a common-sense and sensitive approach in resolving queries ahead of any digital discussion. Again, I want to be absolutely clear that there is no intention to deflect and there are no targets for getting claimants to use a digital channel.