Dispite having officially switched to 0345 numbers, I did receive a letter from teh DWP quoting the same 0845 Number that had previously been on the website.

Ensure that you try the 03 equivilant before rining an 08 number as the 03 virsion should not attaract a service charge and may well be within your inclusive allowance.

tony8 wrote on Aug 24^th, 2015 at 5:53pm:


Whoever set that 0345 website up is being very misleading!  Calls are not "Free" they are Inclusive, there is a vast difference in terminology.

You appear to put more weight on what a call-centre operative tells you than what can be found in their official published tariff information.

Likewise, you consider a refund fixes the problem, without finding out what the actual problem was and whether the billing system has been fixed.

It will be interesting to see what happens next month...

CJT-80 wrote on Aug 25^th, 2015 at 9:19am:


It is full of duff info and the link has now been removed i see.

Most people will never pay a per-minute rate for calls to 01, 02 and 03 numbers as the call will be inclusive in their allowance on their landline or on their mobile. This is the most common way to make calls to these numbers.

The site has a few errors in explaining how things work, and could do with some re-wording. The assertion that 03 calls are "free" is the most worrying. From landlines and from mobiles, these calls are "inclusive" else "geographic rate". They are never "free".

There are a few incorrect dates. Migration from 084 and 087 to 034 or 037 has been available since 2007. DWP activated 0345 numbers in March 2014 following CO guidance published December 2013. BIS's CCR 2013 came into effect for retailers, traders and passenger transport companies on 13 June 2014. Ofcom's CCRfE came into effect for all users of 08 and 09 numbers on 1 July 2015.

There are a number of other sites that have sprung up, including Smart Caller. These have loads of errors and misinformation: wrong dates, legislation accredited to the wrong government departments, errors in who the regulations apply to and a general failure to understand how things work.

Hi, 

In my ignorance I seem to have misunderstood the whole 0345 thing-and worded the information that I wanted to get accross incorrectly I intend to put this right today if possible.

I actually set up the 0345 site following several very expensive hour long calls to the HMRC 0845 number earlier in the year and subsiquently using the 0345 number and not having to pay for the calls..hence the idea ( in my mind) that the calls were free.

The original intention was to simply put together information explaining the need to ensure that 0345 numbers are used to call Government Depts when the option is available

I will spend today changing the terminology on the site to refelct the posts above so that it is more clear and will write a new page explaining the difference between free and inclusive.

I have recognised that a member above seems to be an authority on most numbering matters having noted your posts on dozens of forums, including the 0345 site. - I had taken the information with regard to dates/law from these posting - specifically this one

http://forum.vodafone.co.uk/t5/Pay-monthly-products-services/0845-numbers/td-p/2...

My reason for seeminlgy stalking you accorss the web was that i was plucking up the nerve  to ask for your help and as such I am happy to make any changes that you guys suggest.

bigjohn wrote on Aug 26^th, 2015 at 12:07pm:


It seems that way now,   

It was just personal experience TBH.

Initially it seemed pretty straight forward .. A call from my mobile to an 0845 number costs me loads whilst a call to the same place from my mobile but using the 0345 cost me nothing.