To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what targets are in place for each of the Department's telephone helplines; and what the most recent performance figures against these targets are. [91973]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the targets for each of the Pension Service call centres; and what the performance against those targets has been. [98108]
The information in the table shows the targets currently in place for each of the Department's telephone helplines and recent performance against them.
Centre
| Target
| April to December 2002
| Notes
|
| One—Cwmbran | 1: 65 per cent. of calls answered within 25 seconds with no more than 10 per cent. abandoned | 69.3 per cent. | |
| 2: 80 per cent of callbacks made within 48 hours. | 70.0 per cent | ||
| Jobcentre Plus Pathfinders | Answer 80 per cent. of calls within 30 seconds (see note) | 90.5 per cent. | This measure excludes calls that abandon within the 30 seconds time to answer target time. |
| National Benefit Fraud Hotline | 1: 99 per cent. calls answered | 97.76 | |
| 2: 6 minute call duration | 6.54 | ||
| 3: 70 per cent referrals to fraud | 78.45 | ||
The Pension Service
| |||
| The Pension Service Chief Executive helpline | All calls answered within 30 seconds | 100 per cent. | This is a single line service operated by one member of staff. The number of calls received and answered are recorded but the telephone system does not enable the monitoring of any callers receiving an engaged tone. |
| Pension Centres | Not currently in place—see note: From April 2003 these will be 1: To ensure that less than I per cent. of attempted calls receive an engaged tone or message and | N/A | In 2002–03 the priority has been to maintain quality of service during transition of the service into 26 regional pension centres. |
| 2: To ensure that 92 per cent. of calls to Pension Centres are answered 90 per cent. of calls answered | 92.7 per cent | ||
| International teleclaims Pension Direct | 1: Answer 92 per cent. of calls offered to ACD | 91.6 per cent. | |
| 2: Average time to answer of 30 seconds | 50 seconds | ||
| Retirement Pension teleclaims | 1: 90 per cent. of calls answered in 30 seconds | 88.16 per cent. | |
| 2: No more than 1 per cent of calls are blocked1 | 0.64 per cent. | ||
| Retirement Pension Forecasting Team | 90 per cent. of calls answered in 30 seconds | 81.25 per cent. | |
| Minimum Income Guarantee | 1: 90 per cent. of calls answered in 30 seconds | 99.97 per cent. | |
| 2: 1 per cent. of calls are blocked1 | 0.34 per cent. | ||
Children Group
| |||
| Child Benefit Centre | 90 per cent. of callers answered (this current internal target excludes the number of times customers have to re-dial.) | 94.5 per cent. | 90 per cent. of calls answered within 20 seconds from transfer to Inland Revenue April 2003. |
| Child Support Agency National Enquiry and Customer Help lines | 1: 85 per cent. of calls to be answered first time | 91.8 per cen | |
| 2: No more than 20 per cent. of calls to be abandoned | 12.1 per cent. | ||
Disability and Carers Service
| |||
| Benefit Enquiry Line | 1: 90 per cent. of calls answered within 30 seconds | 54.75 per cent. | |
| 2: Ineffective calls no more than 15 per cent. | 30.9 per cent. | (BT announcement or engaged tone) | |
| 3: Occupancy 80 per cent. | 91.9 per cent. | This is a measure of time advisors wait to take call | |
| 4: Utilisation 64–70 per cent. | 68.9 Per cent. | This measures the overall proportion of worked time that advisors handle calls. | |
| 5: Productivity 80 per cent. | 84.6 per cent. | This measures the impact of time required for breaks | |
| Centre DLA/AA Helpline | Target: 90 per cent. of calls answered within 30 seconds | 17 per cent. answered in 30 seconds | |
Outsourced centres The Pension Service
| |||
| Winter Fuel Help Line | 95 per cent. calls answered first time within 10 seconds | 96.3 per cent. | |
| Pensions Information Line (PIL) | 90 per cent. calls answered first time within 10 seconds | 96 per cent. | |
| Pensions Charter Information | Same figure as Pensions Information Line (PIL) | See PIL above | |
| Inherited SERPS | 1: 80 per cent. calls answered within 20 seconds | 98.5 per cent. | |
| 2: 95 per cent. calls answered in 40 seconds | 99.42 per cent. | ||
Centre
| Target
| April to December 2002
| Notes
|
| Pensioners Guide | 90 per cent. calls answered first time within 10 seconds | 87.8 per cent. | |
| Winter Fuel Bulk Line | 90 per cent. calls answered first time within 10 seconds | 90 per cent. | |
| Minimum Income Guarantee (leaflet order line) | 85 per cent. calls answered first time within 10 seconds | 71 per cent. | |
Corporate and others
| |||
| Welfare Reform Order-line | 90 per cent. calls answered first time within 10 seconds | 97 per cent. | |
| Sure Start Response Line | Same as Welfare Reform Line | ||
| Direct Payment -Customer conversion centre | 95 per cent. calls answered in 15 seconds | 97.53 per cent. | |
| Direct Payment -Information Line | 95 per cent. calls answered in 15 seconds | 98.7 per cent. | |
| Interactive Electronic Services | 1:95 per cent. of calls answered within 15 seconds | 100 per cent. | Service commenced 28 October 2002. All calls have been answered within 15 seconds |
| 2: 100 percent. availability of call centre | 100 per cent. | This measures whether the call centre was open and that there were staff available to answer calls during contracted hours | |
Working Age
| |||
| National Benefit Fraud Hotline | 90 per cent. calls answered first time within 10 seconds | 90.6 per cent. | |
| New Deal | 85 per cent. calls answered first time within 10 seconds | 90 per cent. | |
| New Deal for Lone Parents | 85 per cent. calls answered first time within 10 seconds | 89 per cent. | |
| New Deal for Disabled People | 90 per cent. calls aswered first time within 10 seconds | 100 per cent. | |
| Publicity Register | 90 per cent. calls answered first time within 10 seconds | 90 per cent. | |
| Child Support Reform Information Service (CSA Contact Centre) | 85 per cent. calls answered first time within 10 seconds | 37.9 per cent. | This service is primarily to respond to bulk mailings to clients using dedicated agents. In this period the centre has only been required to handle low numbers of calls offered on an intermittent basis dealing mostly with third party. Theses are not handled by dedicated agents. |
1 Blocked calls are those where the caller is unable to get through to the service because of a limit placed on the number of calls that can be accepted. The caller receives a network message or engaged tone. | |||