Memorandum submitted by Hounslow Welfare
Benefits and Money Advice Unit
(London Borough of Hounslow)
1. Thank you for your letter, inviting us
to submit a memorandum for the Committee's inquiry into standards
of delivery by DWP of services to minority ethnic customers.
2. Our Unit is part of the London Borough
of Hounslow, a very diverse borough with a large number of minority
ethnic groups and over 140 languages spoken by residents of the
borough. We advise people about benefits and debts. We take on
a case where people are at risk of losing their home due to rent
or mortgage arrears or they need representation at Appeal tribunals.
We also advice people on a phone helpline and see people at outreach
sessions. We regularly contact the local DWP offices on behalf
of customers, and attend liaison meetings where we can put forward
policy issues. From October 2003 onwards we have organised an
information campaign concerning Pension Credit, in co-operation
with local officers of the Pension Service. We would like to put
forward the following brief points about the standards of service
delivery by DWP which our Unit has identified locally.
3. Present service delivery in Hounslow
DWP office is affected by the decision to send out the work on
Income Support and Incapacity benefit claims to an office in Makerfield
in Wigan. Customers whose first language is not English therefore
have had difficulties in trying to contact the office in Makerfield.
This has been made more complicated because sometimes there was
confusion as to whether the claim was held in Hounslow or Makerfield
and delay in papers being received in Makerfield. In phoning the
local office, people are given another number to phone. This can
cause huge difficulties for people from minority ethnic communities.
4. The local office of DWP in Hounslow and
the offices in Ealing which are dealing with part of London Borough
of Hounslow, do try to reflect the local community in their staffing.
However, it is more difficult for those customers who are refugees.
The local offices do have access to Language Line but sometimes
it is either not used or customers remained confused by information
and have to use local advice centres for help in getting information.
5. Customers are regularly asked to send
away their passports or Home Office papers for the evidence requirements,
eg for claims for Disability Living Allowance. It would be very
helpful if the letters asking for the passport or papers could
include a sentence to state that these papers can be taken into
the local office for verification. Many customers from minority
ethnic groups are very anxious about sending away vital documents.
6. The service would be further improved
if the main message in any letter from DWP could incorporate a
reference to Language Line.
7. The use of Language Line is even more
important with the introduction of Call centres for Jobcentre
Plus. Our local call centre is going to be in Pembroke Docks in
South Wales. Customers contacting the call centre need to know
that they can speak to someone in their own language. The officers
in Pembroke Docks will be unlikely to know the local area here,
and need training to make sure that the needs of minority ethnic
groups and refugees are full understood.
8. At present we are very concerned at the
change to Jobcentre Plus at our local office of the DWP in Hounslow.
The move of some of the work to Makerfield in Wigan has caused
some problems and concerns, as detailed earlier. The office in
Hounslow is now refusing to give receipts for information which
has been given in to them. This refusal to give receipts can cause
great difficulties for minority ethnic customers, who find it
difficult to challenge decisions. One claimant, a young person
from a minority ethnic group who has mental ill-health, claimed
Incapacity Benefit and Income Support in June 2003. She was refused
payment of benefit for seven months. We helped her to make an
appeal and helped her parents to write a complaint letter in September
2003, and these were handed in and a copy stamped as receipt.
When there was still no reply by January 2004, a further complaint
was made to her Member of Parliament. The response by the DWP
in February 2004 is to finally pay her benefit back to June 2003,
but also they acknowledge that the paperwork handed in to the
office cannot be traced. Because the parents obtained a receipt
there is proof that the appeal and letter were given to the DWP.
If receipts are no longer being given by DWP, it will be more
difficult for customers to prove that they gave in a claim form
or appeal.
— We have been concerned that claimants
aged 60 and over may have had problems in contacting the Pension
Service as the contact is by telephone. This can cause extra difficulties
for minority ethnic customers. However, The Pension Service locally
has worked to meet people where they are based. They have set
up advice surgeries in a large number of local organisations,
including local temples and churches. They agreed to support our
unit to help with enquiries from older people who we contacted
through our campaign, and they organised home visits where necessary.
They were also able to organise interpreters. We hope that this
level of access continues.
27 February 2004
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