Supplementary memorandum submitted by
Hounslow Welfare Benefits and Money Advice Unit (SD 21A)
MAIN COMMENTS
FROM OUR
UNIT
1. The Ethnic minority groups within London
Borough of Hounslow are 35.1% (2001 census).
2. Our unit is a small unit which is part
of the London Borough of Hounslow. We can only give evidence from
our experience.
3. Problems with the DWP:
— The work of the Jobcentre Plus sent
out of Hounslow to other areas. In the autumn of 2003 the new
claims for Income Support and all claims for Incapacity Benefit
were sent to Wigan. Then at the end of 2003 the claims for Income
Support came back to Hounslow. The on-going claims for Incapacity
Benefit are still at Wigan. This change has caused confusion for
all customers and especially for those from ethnic minorities
who find it difficult to phone. This can be due to language problems
or due to difficulties understanding letters which have been sent
to them.
— The Crisis Loan office. Claimants
can no longer go into the Jobcentre Plus office to apply for a
Crisis Loan. There is a telephone number which they have to phone
but it is almost impossible to get through. Then the Social Fund
office make very poor decisions, so that people are sent away
and this is very difficult for people whose first language is
not English.
Example: an African client whose claim
for Income Support was wrongly refused, was then also refused
a crisis loan and was sent away from the office despite our contacting
the Social Fund office.
— The change to the Jobcentre Plus
offices. This means that claimants have to phone a call centre
in Pembroke Dock. The call centre is supposed to phone back the
same day to start the claim for Income Support of Jobseeker's
Allowance, but our experience of the start of the Jobcentre Plus
in Feltham was that the claimants were told that the call centre
would phone back in 2 weeks time. We complained to the local Jobcentre
Plus manager, and the service has now improved. However, at present
Hounslow social security office is closed while the building work
to Jobcentre Plus is carried out. Everyone must phone the Hounslow
office from June-August 2004 and cannot go into the office. The
office has given out direct lines so that it is easier to speak
to the staff. But it is very hard for people whose first language
is not English, or who feel intimidated on the phone.
— Claims for Pension Credit have to
be made by telephone. We appreciate that there are advice sessions
in local day centres, temples and churches, but it is still very
difficult for some older people when they make a claim on the
phone. There are also problems dealing with a remote office:
Example: we had to write to 3 times to
Pension Service and they lost our letter twice—including
a fax which they lost. Customer is an Asian lady who found it
impossible to get her claim through without help.
— There are problems with claims getting
lost and delays in claims cause real problems for people. This
was especially difficult in the change of office to Wigan last
autumn, and we are concerned that more claims will be sent in
the post and claimants will not be able to get receipts. (cont)
Example: young Asian woman with mental
ill-health whose case was given in our Memorandum of 27 February
2004. We helped her to complain to the Ombudsman through her M.P.
The Ombudsman commented on the fact that both her Appeal form
and her mother's complaint letter were lost at the Social security
office. The office told the Ombudsman that "it was clear
that their office practices needed improving and will not review
the systems in place to ensure that post does not go astray".
The office were forced to acknowledge that they lost the appeal
and complaint letter because receipts had been given.
— Receipts are no longer being given
to people when they hand in a form. The local area managers have
stated to us that the practice is only to give receipts for something
valuable. However, for claimants their form is valuable, and many
of them are very concerned when they do not receive a receipt
because of the problems of papers getting lost.
Comments by local community organisations in Hounslow:
1. HOUNSLOW ASIAN
COMMUNITY ADVICE
SERVICE:
— Change to Jobcentre Plus causing
problems—they cannot find the staff they spoke to previously.
The telephone numbers on letters sent to claimants are then the
wrong numbers.
— Staff do not seem trained to do the
work. Jobcentre Plus staff do not know who should be dealing with
people's claims.
— Local office of social security being
closed to change to Jobcentre Plus is causing problems.
— Problems with the Pension Service
giving wrong advice to customers.
2. PAKISTAN WELFARE
ASSOCIATION:
— Problems with the local social security
office being closed. Her clients cannot phone the office very
easily.
— Delays—eg with Wigan office
assessing claimants' Incapacity Benefit and delays in decisions.
Also claim forms are lost.
— Wrong information being given out
by DWP.
— Claimants feel that they cannot communicate
on the phone. The Hounslow social security office needs to be
more accessible.
3. HOUNSLOW AFRO-CARIBBEAN
ASSOCIATION: OLDER
PEOPLE'S
LUNCH CLUB
— Worry about the change of payment
to a bank account. Many of them have had to set up Post Office
card accounts.
— Problems in contacting the Pension
Service.
4. HOUNSLOW CITIZENS
ADVICE BUREAU:
— Pension Credit claims—problems
in getting claims for Pension Credit through: very bad delays
for claimants from ethnic minorities.
— Social Fund problems of phoning for
a Crisis Loan, especially for people who find it difficult to
phone due to language problems. One Asian woman was all day at
the CAB office from 08.30-04.30 for them to help her to get through
to the Crisis Loan office. They have done a Social Policy report
on this.
— Bad decision letters given—claims
refused and no proper reasons given.
— Problems while Hounslow Social Security
office is closed. (cont)
5. FELTHAM CITIZENS
ADVICE BUREAU:
— Delays in getting claims settled
and payments made. It is very difficult for claimants from Ethnic
Minority groups to get their claim sorted out. They contacted
Customer Complaints and have had no reply.
— Problems with the Wigan office with
delays in claiming Incapacity Benefit, especially earlier in 2004.
In fact, the past year has been an uphill struggle about claims
for Incapacity Benefit from Wigan.
— The claimants with these delays can
speak English but it is not their first language, but the problems
seem to be due to sheer difficulties in getting through to the
office.
— Long problems with the Pension Credit
in Newcastle.
— Delays at Hounslow social security
office.
6. HORN OF
AFRICA SOMALI
ASSOCIATION:
— Decisions are made at the counter,
and people are refused and the officers refused to give a letter
of decision. People are turned away at the counter.
— Very hard on the phone now, to try
and get through to social security office by phone.
Rosalind Ambrose
16 June 2004
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