SAYNOTO0870.COM
https://www.saynoto0870.com/cgi-bin/forum/YaBB.cgi
Main Forum >> Geographical Numbers Chat >> DWP nasty
https://www.saynoto0870.com/cgi-bin/forum/YaBB.cgi?num=1516278453

Message started by allegro on Jan 18th, 2018 at 12:27pm

Title: DWP nasty
Post by allegro on Jan 18th, 2018 at 12:27pm
My partner has received a letter from the DWP about the death of her father. This simply confirms the status of his state pension and gives an 0345 contact number.

What's not nice is the contact details they give for Cruse, the well known bereavement charity. They give 0844 477 9400 as the contact number, despite the fact that Cruse no longer use it. Cruse publishes a free 0808 number:
https://www.cruse.org.uk/

Googling that 0844 numbers shows that some bits of Cruse aren't aware of the correct number: http://www.crusecroydon.org.uk/nathelpline.html

Title: Re: DWP nasty
Post by Ian01 on Jan 18th, 2018 at 2:14pm

In this internet age, where information is published and then forgotten, and rarely reviewed and updated, a change of telephone number is rarely recognised by other organisations unless they are told about it multiple times.

National Rail, Samaritans, and many other organisations changed their number years ago but the old numbers are still widely circulated. And so it is with hundreds of other well-known organisations.

Most DWP 0345 numbers have been changed to free-to-caller 0800 numbers. A message on the old number informs callers to hang up and re-dial the new 0800 number.


Title: Re: DWP nasty
Post by SilentCallsVictim on Jan 18th, 2018 at 2:50pm
The only way to address this issue is to contact each purveyor of an incorrect number and get them to correct their publications.

In some cases, it may be practical to urge the user of the number to press news of its updates on those inclined to refer to it.

The fair telecoms campaign urges its supporters to use what time and energy they can to this end, and is grateful for what they are able to do.

Title: Re: DWP nasty
Post by Ian01 on Jan 18th, 2018 at 10:46pm

One useful thing that Cruse has done is to place a message on the premium rate 0844 number telling callers to hang up and re-dial the replacement free-to-caller 0808 number.

Of course, anyone who is put off by the 0844 number and fails to call it, will be denied the opportunity to hear the message. This is why it is important for third-parties to review the numbers they publish for other organisations and attempt to keep them up to date.

It is also important for people who wish to make use of a service to first check the official website of that service to ensure they have current information about that service including its availability and contact details.

Title: Re: DWP nasty
Post by CJT-80 on Jan 19th, 2018 at 11:45am

allegro wrote on Jan 18th, 2018 at 12:27pm:
My partner has received a letter from the DWP about the death of her father. This simply confirms the status of his state pension and gives an 0345 contact number.

What's not nice is the contact details they give for Cruse, the well known bereavement charity. They give 0844 477 9400 as the contact number, despite the fact that Cruse no longer use it.


It's awful to receive this at such a difficult time, sadly it appears it takes time to get things updated at the DWP.

Are they any contact details (apart from the 0345 number) online for the part of DWP who sent the letter?  Maybe they could be contacted (perhaps online) to alert them to the error.

I recently received a letter at the Job Centre and they still have the 0345 number printed for them, despite it changing to 0800.


allegro wrote on Jan 18th, 2018 at 12:27pm:
Googling that 0844 numbers shows that some bits of Cruse aren't aware of the correct number: http://www.crusecroydon.org.uk/nathelpline.html


I have e-mailed Cruse Croydon and alerted them to this error.

Let's hope it's updated soon.

:)

Title: Re: DWP nasty
Post by Ian01 on Jan 19th, 2018 at 12:51pm

DWP has changed almost all of their phone lines over to free-to-caller 0800 numbers. In each such case, there is a recorded message on the old 0345 number telling callers to hang up and re-dial the new 0800 number. The new numbers are also on the DWP section of the official GOV.UKwebsite.

Where a DWP helpline previously used a premium rate 0845 number (i.e. before March 2014) there is also a message on that old number. Previously, the message directed callers to call an 0345 number. More recently, it has been amended to mention the new free-to-caller 0800 number.

See also: http://www.fairtelecoms.org.uk/uploads/1/1/4/5/11456053/dwp_freephone_summary_-_updated_180116.pdf


Title: Usefulness of CRUSE Bereavement Care
Post by NGMsGhost on Feb 1st, 2018 at 4:32pm
Speaking as a recently bereaved person even if you use Cruse's published 0808 number on their website its a total waste of time as they always say they are too busy to answer your call at the moment and to call them back later.  Or one time I got through at 4.25pm on a Friday and was not told to call back later and then waited in the queue till 5pm when I was cut off (as they disconnected the switchboard and pushed off home).

Eventually I had to call their Central Admin number of 020 8939 9530 (listed at the bottom of their Contact Us page) and spoke to someone there explaining I could never raise help on the 0808 number.  After that they called me back and told me to go an introductory meeting in High Wycombe but on the day I got there I had huge trouble finding it as the building isn't branded CRUSE but as some church charity and was in any case closed in normal weekday working hours.  Also there was nobody I could phone at this point to say where are you in High Wycombe as they don't have an incoming phone number for general queries at that branch. Eventually after many inquiries I found a hidden back entrance to this address and the CRUSE session was in some pretty cold, bleak and depressing room.  All the other people there were widows in their 70s or 80s so as a bereaved son of 50 I didn't feel very at home or as though I fitted in.

But after some further complaints to the 020 Admin number and a call back to me from their National Operations director I did eventually have five hour long one to one sessions in High Wycombe with a very experienced male counselling volunteer in his 60s who I did get on with and also find quite useful.  Although I would say the death of a parent is made especially bad by all the horrendous admin you are sucked in to on probate and inheritance tax and having to sell their house and get valuations on it and clear it, all of which constantly screams at you "my parent is dead", "my parent is dead", "my parent is dead" etc.  If there wasn't a very aggressive 6 month clock ticking on paying inheritance tax and your parent wasn't still in a home they owned or they only rented their home then their death and sorting everything out won't be quite as distressing and painful.

Bottom line is you have to be very determined and persistent indeed to get help from CRUSE as their resources seem to be distinctly mismatched with a high level of demand for their services.

I have since found out that most GP practices offer bereavement counselling services so that may be another way for people to go if they can't seem to find help from CRUSE.

SAYNOTO0870.COM » Powered by YaBB 2.5.2!
YaBB Forum Software © 2000-2024. All Rights Reserved.