DWP Contracted out post handling

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Dear Department for Work and Pensions,

The DWP contracts out the processing, opening, scanning and depositing in a digital repository of correspondence delivered via the Royal Mail (and other mail delivery companies?).

Q1. At what point or points in the process described above does the DWP log correspondence as having been received? If the process describe above does not reflect reality please tell me point(s) within the DWP actual process that correspondence is logged as being “received”.

Q2. What data/metrics does the DWP have access to for the various stages of the processes described above? For the sake of clarity I am trying to find out if the date and /or time is recorded for each piece of correspondence when it passes through the following stages (or similar):
• It arrives at the mail processing office (whether than be DWP or contractor premises).
• It is opened.
• It is scanned.
• It is deposited in the appropriate DWP repository.
• The relevant member of staff is made aware that the correspondence is available for them to work on.

If the stages described above do not reflect the stages at which date/time data is recorded please disclose the stages at which it is.

Q3. Please confirm the total number of manual stages (i.e. those that require human action) that correspondence passes through from arriving at a DWP mail processing centre/office to the appropriate DWP employee being notified that it is accessible from the appropriate repository and they can work on it.

Q4. Please tell me the official “received” date/time that DWP Decision Makers must use when making benefit entitlement decisions (including revisions) and what stage of the correspondence handling process this reflects?

Yours faithfully,

Alf Denning

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CD Official Correspondence, Department for Work and Pensions

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Dear Mr Denning
 
Please see the attached letter.
 
 
Official Correspondence Team
People, Communication and Capability | Please consider the environment
before printing.
 
 
 
 

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Dear CD Official Correspondence,

Thank you for your response of 14th May. I assume that you really meant that I can expect a reply by the 9th June 2015 rather than the 9th May 2015 as stated. Unless I hear to the contrary I will assume this to be the case as this negates the need for the DWP to send another response.

Yours sincerely,

Alf Denning

CD Official Correspondence, Department for Work and Pensions

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Apologies Mr Denning I have attached an amended letter for you records.

Official Correspondence Team

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Alan Smith left an annotation ()

Just a bit of info about post handling by the DWP.The independent case examiner(ICE)part of the DWP does'nt use a mail opening unit.They say:

Freedom of Information request 1962/2014

Received 16 April 2014
Published

Information request

How many days on average will the letter take from being opened at the mail opening unit to it reaching the Independent Case Examiner's Office?

DWP response

Since September 2013 the Independent Case Examiner’s office no longer uses a mail opening unit. Letters which are addressed to our business are collected by Royal Mail and delivered directly to our office address. On receipt of the letter officers within our business open the correspondence and direct it to the relevant team for appropriate action to be taken.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publicatio...

Alf Denning left an annotation ()

Alan,

Thank you for letting me know. I didn't know that. I wonder if any other parts of the DWP have opted out of the mail opening service!

CD Official Correspondence, Department for Work and Pensions

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Denning,

 

Please see the attached letter.

 

 

Official Correspondence Team

People, Communication and Capability | Please consider the environment
before printing.

 

 

 

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