Warrington Pension Centre no longer accepting paper claim forms!

I have noticed recent posts referring to the crisis in the Pension Service.

The Pension Service are now, in my experience, the worst department to deal with.  Only now and again do you speak to someone over the phone who wants to help you and isnt trying to find any way possible to get you off the phone, or pass you on to someone else which regularly involves being passed on to 3 or 4 different people.  I recently requested a breakdown of a client’s PC overpayment and repayment schedule and was told that the letter will take up to 28 working days (! - nearly 6 weeks) to be received by the client. 

Now this:

I have just been told over the phone that Warrington Pension Service no longer accept PC1 paper claim forms.  By the way, the government website still invites people to download and complete the claim form and there is a link to this form.  What makes this worse is that I submitted a PC1 form at the start of March and I have been told that this just wasn’t processed due to the new policy.  The client wasn’t informed.  I have now managed to get them to look at the form but they say that this is an exception as the client wasnt contacted.

So now it seems you must claim over the phone, but wait…I was told several months ago that the claim will only be taken immediately over the phone if the client’s circumstances were very simple (eg. only state pension as income and no complicated capital).  Otherwise, the client will have to wait for a call-back…...which will probably take 4 weeks and won’t be possible as the client is out or something and not have access to income details, etc.

What an appalling service!  Has anyone else had such bad experiences?  I am considering further action, apart from the normal complaint does anyone have any ideas?

http://www.rightsnet.org.uk/news/story/pension-credit-claimants-to-be-encouraged-to-claim-by-telephone

They are supposedly ‘encouraging’ phone claims -some zealot has probably run away with this idea and turned it into a refusal to accept anything else - but according to the item above, people retain their right to claim in other ways, and in any case until and unless they change the primary legislation, they can’t refuse paper claims.

The good news is that now DWP people are reading these pages on a regular basis they will clarify their policy or correct their mis-statements promptly.

[edited for heavy irony]

I would love a response to my ‘concerns’ on here from the DWP as long as it doesn’t take 28 working days.

We used to have, after a prolonged dialogue that I can only describe as a battle, a regular liaison with Warrington PC. They clearly didn’t want to be there although some progress was made temporarily with implied consent. As soon as this was bedding in they ended liaison stating it would be picked by local services. We were aware local services have no special route into pension centres and collectively expressed some concern/cynicism. We were assured our local service would be in touch immediately.

Still waiting some 3 or more years later. I’ve lost count.

The phone handling remains appalling and our most recommended tactic is simply put the phone down; ring again and wait for a sensible person to answer (this doesn’t necessarily equate to team leader by the way). As for post. Well, let’s just say that about 2 years ago we hit the point where every written request needed to be accompanied by a diarised task 8 weeks down the line to make a formal complaint. That remains the case.

So, any GMWRAG members want to join me in a letter demanding the renewal of liaison, perhaps accompanied by the support of relevant local MPs?

The time has come…

Mike Hughes, as a GMWRAG member I would be happy to sign such a letter.