call centre script and staff guidance for IB to ESA disallowances

This is an automated confirmation that your request for information has
been received at the DWP Central FoI Team.

We will forward your request to the relevant information owner within the
Department who will respond to you direct.

Should you also have any further queries in connection with this request
do please contact us.

For further information on the Freedom of Information Act within DWP
please click on the link below.

[1]http://www.dwp.gov.uk/freedom-of-informa...

show quoted sections

References

Visible links
1. http://www.dwp.gov.uk/freedom-of-informa...

Dear Mr Cook

Thank you for your Freedom of Information request of 11 March 2011.

You requested the following information:

For claimants who are transferred from IB/IS/SDA onto ESA and fail their medicals and receive a phonecall from the jobcentre to inform them and discuss their options:

1) copy of 'scripts' used by call handlers,

2) guidance given to call handlers to answer claimants queries, regarding all possible queries that it is envisaged might be asked.

3) copies of standard forms and reports that are used to record the outcome of the calls and the discussion that took place with the claimant

You asked for a copy of scripts used by call handlers. The phone call to customers who are likely to be disallowed is delivered by a Jobcentre Plus decision maker and has two components. Firstly, the decision maker will discuss with the customer why they believe they may not be entitled to Employment and Support Allowance and the evidence they have used to reach this conclusion. If the customer queries what is being outlined and has additional evidence which may alter the decision maker's conclusion, this call provides an opportunity for the customer to explain this. They will then be given time to send in this additional evidence before a final decision is made on their claim. Secondly, the decision maker will discuss with customers who have been disallowed ESA, their future benefit options. This will help to ensure that customers who are disallowed ESA will not have a break in payments if they chose to claim another benefit. Decision makers have the option of calling a customer back if they feel they need time to absorb the information they are providing.

Because this call will be tailored to the customer's circumstances and will draw upon the experience and knowledge of the decision maker undertaking the call, the call is not tightly scripted. This will help ensure that the correct decisions are made on a customer's benefit entitlement and that they are given appropriate support and advice tailored to their circumstances. A desk aid has been produced to assist these conversations and is attached separately.
You asked for guidance given to call handlers to answer claimant's queries, regarding all possible queries that it is envisaged might be asked.

I can confirm that we do hold information falling within the description specified in your request. However, we estimate that the cost of complying with your request would exceed the appropriate limit of £600. The appropriate limit has been specified in regulations and for central Government it is set at £600. This represents the estimated cost of one person spending 3½ working days in determining whether the Department holds the information, and locating, retrieving and extracting the information. Under section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act the Department is not obliged to comply with your request and we will not be processing your request further.
We have a large volume of guidance relating to the benefits you have mentioned above and unfortunately we are unable to provide copies of all the guidance available to call handlers. However, the attached desk aids for Question 1 includes some of the guidance given to call handlers.
Finally, you asked for copies of standard forms and reports that are used to record the outcome of the calls and the discussion that took place with the claimant. The conversation is tailored to the particular customer's circumstances and there is no standard form or report used to record the call outcome and discussion. Instead, information will be recorded on existing Departmental computer systems, or clerically, as appropriate.
If you have any queries about this letter please contact me quoting the reference number above.
Yours sincerely,

DWP Central FoI Team

show quoted sections

This is an automated confirmation that your request for information has
been received at the DWP Central FoI Team.

We will forward your request to the relevant information owner within the
Department who will respond to you direct.

Should you also have any further queries in connection with this request
do please contact us.

For further information on the Freedom of Information Act within DWP
please click on the link below.

[1]http://www.dwp.gov.uk/freedom-of-informa...

show quoted sections

References

Visible links
1. http://www.dwp.gov.uk/freedom-of-informa...

Dear Mr Cook

Please see attached response to your FoI request.

Kind regards

DWP Central FoI Team

show quoted sections