3 way phone calls…

Hi all, last week I spoke to Universal Credit, twice, attempting to do a phone claim for someone who has already had a rocky path to this stage.

Only to be told by their staff… the first time that “a new procedure” (the start date of which she did not know) means they “cannot accept a three way phone call” to make a claim, and the second time to be told by the guy their staff “are not trained to do telephone claims” and that the only support available was “from the CAB” with an online claim.

Again, he could not/would not explain why they could do all of the above three weeks ago, as directly witnessed by the same client. Both members of staff flatly refused either to proceed or get a second opinion.

I naturally assumed (having done scores of telephone claims with people over the years) that this was mere bad luck on my part, but then today a colleague has had the same issue, being told on the phone that the new stricture banning 3 way phone calls is “on the (DWP) website” (I cannot see it there).

I am assuming this “new procedure” is simply not a thing and that I/we have just been very unfortunate, but I just wanted to check here in case I’ve missed anything?

We have also been having issues making 3-way calls to UC and other DWP departments across our team -  but this was not an issue until recently (about 3 weeks ago I think). It’s immensely frustrating

That’s interesting… so it is a growing issue then, and not just for us. I wonder what’s changed?

Also experienced this, was told that I could not help a client submit a tel claim, that I must go through CAB help to claim service. Which I duly did, and they effectively sat in on the call while I did the supporting.

I then tried it without them a couple of weeks ago and had no issues doing it without CAB being involved.

No idea where this came from.

Bit late picking this up but will raise a query via the stakeholder forum and feed back here

Advisers from one of our local social landlords were reporting this exact same issue today in a UC-related meeting. 3 way conference phone calls refused by UC claim line ... delaying UC MM claims

DWP staff at the meeting were baffled, said it shouldn’t happen, and took it away.

I have, after being cut off 3 times recently trying to make 3 way calls to ESA, been told today it is blanket ban on conference calls. My colleague has also been told this from PIP.

Forgive the weary tone.

Its pretty much the norm for UC, It comes up regularly again and again and again, on the HTC CITA facefiend and has done forever, how long HTC has existed. Similarly, when we had HTC contracts.

Invariably, vulnerable clients for non-digital UC claims and UC queries.

I think rather than being baffled DWP higher management, whether its district, regional, or national. Could take a long hard look themselves and the culture within their dept and their outsourcing contractors.

There has been report after report but nothing ever changes, the same stuff crops up again and again and the same client groups suffer. This is one from the House of Lords https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/2224/documents/20325/default/#page=5 - see pages 71 onwards for example about personalised support and vulnerable claimants.

https://lordslibrary.parliament.uk/economic-affairs-committee-report-on-universal-credit/

We had a client couple weeks ago migrating from LCW(RA) credits to UC. Despite us writing on the journal reg 21 UC (TP) regs 2014 and no lawful requirement for fit notes Reg 40 UC regs 2013, and using the vulnerable client policy we have with the job centre. Client told and our colleagues who attended the job centre with him, that he had to attend weekly appointments etc and produce fit notes while his claim was being sorted.

Client in question has severe enduring mental health issues (very fragile) - we had to intervene further by emailing the WC leader - https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2012/5/section/19 etc etc

Edited - because I forgot to add links

Joshi - 06 September 2024 09:36 AM

I have, after being cut off 3 times recently trying to make 3 way calls to ESA, been told today it is blanket ban on conference calls. My colleague has also been told this from PIP.

I, on the other hand, had 2 conference calls to UC yesterday, without a glitch and a call to PIP with the call handler who was aware of the “working with representatives” policy and made good use of the “alternative enquiry” (aka implied consent).

Wonders never cease.

But death, taxes and inconsistencies at DWP call handling training are the only guarantees in life.

Capita ???

Sorry, no idea. To “good” guy was from Preston Service Centre.