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PIP Enquiry Line

Suzie Welfare Rights
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Welfare Rights Team - Potter Rees Dolan Sols

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Total Posts: 13

Joined: 7 January 2020

Hi,

Is anyone else experiencing issues when telephoning the PIP Enquiry Line for progress updates?  I have 5 pro bono clients currently awaiting planned review decisions (for months and months) and have encountered endless difficulties with call handlers.  I was advised that ‘due to data protection’ the new telephone system only allows a singl claim to be discussed during a single call.  I raised this via complaints team then ministerial ccing Chloe Smith and received a call to apologise.  Apparently the call would be listed in to and training provided to the call handler.  Today, a further enormous hold period, same data protection advice, asked for a CM, he confirmed this.  Asked for where guidance/policy set out for 3rd party reps, was told GDPR?!!!  Asked if his definitive advice was to end the call and ring back for every client - was told yes - not that he wouldn’t help but that he couldn’t! Very frustrating!

Va1der
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Welfare Rights Officer with SWAMP Glasgow

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Total Posts: 706

Joined: 7 May 2019

Has there ever not been issues?

Citing their own guidance to them usually helps, and I can’t see that anything has changed there: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-with-representatives-guidance-for-dwp-staff/working-with-representatives-guidance-for-dwp-staff#steps-to-take-when-deciding-whether-to-disclose-information

Being needlessly coy with information is more likely to breach GDPR, rather than it precluding information sharing.

EDIT: Although, there might actually be something to it (depending on the design of any ‘new phone system’. If calls are recorded as a single audio file dealing with and storing data of multiple clients in one call can make it more difficult to respond to SARs etc. Although, there are other ways to resolve that issue.)

I sincerely doubt DWP have thought far enough ahead about it for this to be the issue, more likely they’ve just found a convenient excuse.

[ Edited: 29 Apr 2022 at 10:21 am by Va1der ]
Suzie Welfare Rights
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Welfare Rights Team - Potter Rees Dolan Sols

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Total Posts: 13

Joined: 7 January 2020

Thanks - yes I did try but this is all apparently ‘since the new ‘phone system’ has been brought in.  Already raised 2 complaints and accepted verbal resolution (very foolish of me) just sent another complaint with time, date, service centre (Preston).  Now to jump back in the queue another 3 times!

Jo_Smith
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Citizens Advice Hillingdon

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Joined: 3 October 2018

Not about PIP but about UC- same scenario when calling UC. The height of ridiculousness is when you call with BOTH partners in a joint UC claim, you are still asked to make separate calls to UC helpline. This is yet another nail in a coffin called “non-digital claimants”, whose access to this benefit is just plagued with bizarre barriers.

Mairi
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Welfare rights officer - Dunedin Canmore Housing Association

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Total Posts: 271

Joined: 25 June 2010

This is definitely not a ‘new phone system’ issue as I’ve been told that for years when I chance my arm and ask about more than one claimant at a time (I usually don’t bother).  It has been explained to me about the call recording issue and that seems a fair enough (albeit frustrating) argument.  If I’m contacting agencies by email about multiple people I send multiple emails.

If only a system could be developed where it didn’t take an hour to have a 5 minute conversation with a human being or if a portal could be developed where queries could be submitted and replied to quickly so that we could actually get on with doing some work…... (I’m not volunteering to develop such a thing you understand….)