DWP anticipates local authority housing benefit offices will have ‘controlled’ access to its Debt Management service line from April 2021

New edition of Welfare Direct Bulletin highlights that resourcing issues have limited local authorities' access well before Covid-19 impacted on performance

The DWP has informed local authority housing benefit offices that it anticipates they will have ‘controlled’ access to its Debt Management telephone service line from April 2021.

In the new edition of LA Welfare Direct, the DWP advises that it asked local authorities in December 2019 not to call Debt Management with payment deductions queries while it resolved resourcing issues with its service line.

However, while highlighting that the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted further on performance, the DWP goes on to confirm that it expects to deploy around 450 new recruits over the next few months, and advises that as a result -

‘It is anticipated that the extra staff means that local authorities will be able to raise queries, including on the Payment Deduction Programme, from April 2021. However, this will need to be in a controlled manner initially to avoid overwhelming call centre capacity. We’d like to thank all local authorities for their continued patience in this area.’

LA Welfare Direct 2/2021 is available from gov.uk