legacy benefits - refusal to do implicit consent (yet again)

Hardly a new topic but just a reminder to DWP spybots that your staff still don’t / won’t follow your guidance!

How can your agents exercise their discretion whether to provide info. requested if at the outset of the call they state that they cannot give that information? Why do adviser still need to be very assertive with your staff to get them to comply with your own guidance?

After 2 cut off calls yesterday (45 mins+ each time)

Today - ESA Coventry contact centre - confirm it was an implicit consent call / issue - opening line “I must advise you we cannot give any financial information under implicit consent”.

After being very insistent that that is not what the guidance says and request to speak to supervisor (which agent when away to do) agreed that details of ESA award can be given under implicit consent.

[screaming child tantrum face]