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changes in circs but no access to internet
if someone does not have access to the internet at home, no family to access Journal, cant get through to anyone on the phone and usually uses the local library to check and update their journal how would they go about reporting changes in circs?
ive dealt with one of our tenants this morning who is in this exact position her weekly rent has increased and she cant access her journal to notify them
would we be able to argue that due to the pandemic she couldnt report this sooner due to not being able to access her journal or get anyone on the phone?
(this is under the assumption that we will still be in ‘lockdown’ by the end of her MAP)
(im probably being really stupid but home working is rotting my brain)
I think she would have to ask DWP to treat her claim as a telephone claim so that they use/accept alternative contact methods during this period. On the basis that although she does not have the facilities at home to access internet and is not able to use them outside of the home.
If she doesn’t manage to get through on the phone before the end of her MAP to report the change of rent amount, then yes she would argue that she had a good reason for the late notification.
The two local JCP offices in my area have signs on the door supplying a local contact number for the public to speak to them (one is a mobile, the other is a local landline).
I don’t know whether or not the intention of this is to pass on changes of circs, but if your client can swing by the JCP there might be a local contact number?
Given that all social housing tenants will have a rent increase to report this week, is this something that Daphne could seek official clarification on? It certainly seems to make little sense to be encouraging clients to ‘keep trying’ an admittedly overloaded phone service if they’re not able to report the change online.
we’ve got a telephone stakeholders meetingn tomorrow - I’ll put it on my list!
we’ve got a telephone stakeholders meetingn tomorrow - I’ll put it on my list!
brilliant look forward to seeing what they say