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Telephone Services

Volume 472: debated on Wednesday 5 March 2008

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average call waiting time has been for customer call centres in his Department in the last 12 months, broken down by contact number and region. (173276)

The information available is provided in the following tables. All figures are in seconds unless otherwise stated.

Centre/region

Contact number

Business area

December 2006

January 2007

February 2007

March 2007

April 2007

May 2007

Debt Centre Salford/Trafford1

08456003334

Off Benefit

28

35

28

30

39

24

08456003335

Enforcement

17

13

22

12

11

21

08456024201

Off Benefit (SF) 1

13

14

Child Support Agency Liverpool3

08457133133

6

9

10

10

9

10

Child Support Agency Birkenhead

08456090062

16

23

26

26

25

24

Child Support Agency Dudley

08456090062

21

22

21

21

23

18

Child Support Agency Belfast

08456090092

26

37

25

26

29

25

Child Support Agency Falkirk

08456090042

19

25

21

22

22

21

Child Support Agency Plymouth

08456090072

25

35

27

25

24

25

Child Support Agency Hastings

08456090052

27

32

27

22

23

22

Benefit inquiry Line Preston4

0800882200

Main Line

15

44

46

36

48

45

0800243355

Textphone

9

10

8

6

9

9

0800441144

Forms Completion

14

31

56

56

50

41

DLA/AA Helpline Blackpool4

08457123456

Change of Circs Menu option 1

3

3

3

3

4

4

08457123456

New Claim Pack Menu option 2

18

12

12

11

08457123456

Decision Making and Appeals Menu option 3

4

4

4

5

5

5

08457123456

General Inquiries Menu option hold

106

118

122

126

148

143

08457224433

Textphone

6

7

6

6

6

7

08456020194

District Office

16

16

16

16

16

16

08456020197

Motability

24

25

24

24

22

22

08453001403

3rd Party Text

5

5

6

5

7

13

08459000121

3rd Party

21

22

22

22

24

26

The Pension Service Bath

08456060265

Change of Circumstances

6

10

19

19

21

15

The Pension Service Birmingham

08456060265

Change of Circumstances

16

20

19

18

20

18

The Pension Service Burnley

08456060265

Change of Circumstances

29

30

30

38

43

08453001084

State Pension

1

2

2

57

86

75

0800991234

Pension Credit

1

2

2

59

101

84

The Pension Service Cwmbran

08456060265

Change of Circumstances

9

12

16

16

24

45

08453001084

State Pension

4

19

26

30

26

41

0800991234

Pension Credit

3

10

15

20

25

38

The Pension Service Dundee

08456060265

Change of Circumstances

31

50

73

35

90

118

08453001084

State Pension

59

30

80

33

34

54

0800991234

Pension Credit

30

22

88

45

33

48

The Pension Service Leicester

08456060265

Change of Circumstances

16

17

17

16

20

23

08453001084

State Pension

12

8

6

12

65

40

0800991234

Pension Credit

7

11

7

12

77

68

NPC (Newcastle)

08456060265

Change of Circumstances

4

32

29

60

133

100

08453001084

State Pension

19

26

58

60

38

36

0800991234

Pension Credit

39

40

50

56

41

34

The Pension Service Motherwell

08456060265

Change of Circumstances

15

18

17

19

13

12

08453001084

State Pension

22

30

46

48

45

35

0800991234

Pension Credit

8

13

33

47

31

22

The Pension Service Seaham

08456060265

Change of Circumstances

18

15

9

20

15

16

08453001084

State Pension

14

28

69

108

93

90

0800991234

Pension Credit

13

22

61

148

91

87

The Pension Service Stockport

08456060265

Change of Circumstances

32

52

55

102

173

158

08453001084

State Pension

4

13

22

29

32

69

0800991234

Pension Credit

3

13

21

27

24

60

The Pension Service Swansea

08456060265

Change of Circumstances

12

27

24

24

38

58

08453001084

State Pension

8

30

70

56

27

63

0800991234

Pension Credit

49

50

39

37

20

47

The Pension Service Warrington

08456060265

Change of Circumstances

19

34

79

128

98

36

08453001084

State Pension

14

14

16

41

31

25

0800991234

Pension Credit

11

12

15

24

9

27

Centre/region

Contact number

Business area

June 2007

July 2007

August 2007

September 2007

October 2007

November 2007

Debt Centre Salford/Trafford1

08456003334

Off Benefit

14

16

16

264

23

19

08456003335

Enforcement

14

20

25

244

30

13

08456024201

Off Benefit (SF) 1

10

10

15

18

16

15

Child Support Agency Liverpool3

08457133133

14

16

13

13

13

12

Child Support Agency Birkenhead

08456090062

29

27

27

22

22

22

Child Support Agency Dudley

08456090062

21

22

21

19

20

20

Child Support Agency Belfast

08456090092

22

27

19

17

18

20

Child Support Agency Falkirk

08456090042

26

24

24

22

21

24

Child Support Agency Plymouth

08456090072

35

37

22

20

19

20

Child Support Agency Hastings

08456090052

24

24

23

21

21

22

Benefit inquiry Line Preston4

0800882200

Main Line

36

44

53

45

38

32

0800243355

Textphone

8

9

10

10

11

11

0800441144

Forms Completion

47

46

67

45

53

42

DLA/AA Helpline Blackpool4

08457123456

Change of Circs Menu option 1

4

4

3

4

3

3

08457123456

New Claim Pack Menu option 2

11

12

13

14

10

11

08457123456

Decision Making and Appeals Menu option 3

5

5

5

6

4

5

08457123456

General Inquiries Menu option hold

143

151

168

167

138

151

08457224433

Textphone

6

7

5

6

7

5

08456020194

District Office

16

16

16

16

16

16

08456020197

Motability

23

25

24

25

28

27

08453001403

3rd Party Text

13

12

5

L5

6

4

08459000121

3rd Party

24

23

23

23

22

22

The Pension Service Bath

08456060265

Change of Circumstances

10

10

5

6

11

11

The Pension Service Birmingham

08456060265

Change of Circumstances

17

24

21

21

15

15

The Pension Service Burnley

08456060265

Change of Circumstances

35

47

48

25

28

24

08453001084

State Pension

132

41

39

49

41

36

0800991234

Pension Credit

96

42

41

41

40

30

The Pension Service Cwmbran

08456060265

Change of Circumstances

37

57

40

32

29

20

08453001084

State Pension

43

27

23

27

27

23

0800991234

Pension Credit

34

26

34

37

29

19

The Pension Service Dundee

08456060265

Change of Circumstances

144

270

221

23

25

25

08453001084

State Pension

101

130

32

31

30

24

0800991234

Pension Credit

87

137

33

23

20

16

The Pension Service Leicester

08456060265

Change of Circumstances

23

30

34

51

27

26

08453001084

State Pension

337

463

80

41

44

106

0800991234

Pension Credit

282

401

133

48

53

1

NPC (Newcastle)

08456060265

Change of Circumstances

38

69

84

74

53

77

08453001084

State Pension

82

55

40

40

26

29

0800991234

Pension Credit

60

47

41

32

24

31

The Pension Service Motherwell

08456060265

Change of Circumstances

15

21

54

57

33

27

08453001084

State Pension

89

43

58

36

30

38

0800991234

Pension Credit

55

40

66

36

25

32

The Pension Service Seaham

08456060265

Change of Circumstances

8

9

12

14

14

12

08453001084

State Pension

190

87

70

59

27

30

0800991234

Pension Credit

178

77

61

41

24

23

The Pension Service Stockport

08456060265

Change of Circumstances

186

156

103

120

62

35

08453001084

State Pension

125

125

125

123

58

39

0800991234

Pension Credit

73

87

103

86

3

20

The Pension Service Swansea

08456060265

Change of Circumstances

60

99

120

77

32

36

08453001084

State Pension

125

38

77

69

42

82

0800991234

Pension Credit

93

85

133

90

48

99

The Pension Service Warrington

08456060265

Change of Circumstances

24

45

65

174

83

37

08453001084

State Pension

81

20

17

37

41

50

0800991234

Pension Credit

39

53

46

56

53

41

1 Debt Centre Salford became Debt Centre Trafford from April 2007. Debt Management Trafford took responsibility for recovery of social fund loans from those no longer in receipt of benefit (Off Benefit SF).

2 System failure impacted wait times.

3 Deals exclusively with all of the Agency’s old scheme (prior to March 2003) related calls.

4 Figures are for average speed to answer a call. This measure is the same as average call waiting time as both represents the average amount of time callers had to wait before the call was answered.

Percentage

Centre/region

Contact number

Business area

November 2006

December 2006

January 2007

February 2007

March 2007

April 2007

Jobcentre Plus Group 11, 2

08456060234

Jobseeker Direct

91.4

92.2

83.1

75.00

84.9

76.6

08000556688

First Contact

76.9

86.7

81.5

88.6

95.1

90.7

08456012001

Employer Direct

97.5

94.7

91.7

88.3

91.1

69.9

08456000043

Nino Allocations

93.8

96.7

84.7

81.4

89.8

84.8

080085440

National Benefit Fraud Hotline

95.0

89.0

89.7

90.1

92.6

88.7

Crisis Loan

Benefit Delivery Centres

Crisis Loan Decision Making

08456008192

IB LP Campaign

08456004271

DWP Postal Line

Jobcentre Plus Group 23

08456060234

Jobseeker Direct

92.4

96.1

89.1

75.9

84.6

77.4

08000556688

First Contact

78.3

86.5

81.8

82.6

85.2

87.5

08456012001

Employer Direct

98.5

96.2

93.8

86.2

95.0

85.3

08456000043

Nino Allocations

92.1

96.7

87.8

85.3

89.5

84.6

080085440

National Benefit Fraud Hotline

Crisis Loan

Benefit Delivery Centres

Crisis Loan Decision Making

08456008192

IB LP Campaign

08456004271

DWP Postal Line

Jobcentre Plus Group 34

08456060234

Jobseeker Direct

84.8

91.7

77.6

77.7

80.4

84.2

08000556688

First Contact

79.5

87.0

84.3

85.1

88.2

86.3

08456012001

Employer Direct

08456000043

Nino Allocations

080085440

National Benefit Fraud Hotline

Crisis Loan

Benefit Delivery Centres

Crisis Loan Decision Making

08456008192

IB LP Campaign

08456004271

DWP Postal Line

Jobcentre Plus Group 45

08456060234

Jobseeker Direct

89.6

90.6

82.3

75.4

82.4

81.1

08000556688

First Contact

80.6

88.6

80.5

81.9

87.6

84.3

08456012001

Employer Direct

97.6

95.3

92.9

88.6

92.4

80.8

08456000043

Nino Allocations

95.9

97.4

88.9

84.0

90.1

84.0

080085440

National Benefit Fraud Hotline

Crisis Loan

Benefit Delivery Centres

Crisis Loan Decision Making

08456008192

IB LP Campaign

08456004271

DWP Postal Line

Percentage

Centre/region

Contact number

Business area

May2007

June 2007

July 2007

August 2007

September 2007

October 2007

Jobcentre Plus Group 11, 2

08456060234

Jobseeker Direct

81.8

75.7

83.6

86.6

74.0

86.7

08000556688

First Contact

93.6

85.8

76.7

75.3

81.2

79.4

08456012001

Employer Direct

82.0

91.7

93.2

86.5

76.0

82.8

08456000043

Nino Allocations

85.2

88.7

91.0

86.5

66.7

75.7

080085440

National Benefit Fraud Hotline

93.8

94.5

97.3

96.8

92.2

93.7

Crisis Loan

8.6

12.0

29.6

68.0

63.5

Benefit Delivery Centres

Crisis Loan Decision Making

94.3

08456008192

IB LP Campaign

08456004271

DWP Postal Line

Jobcentre Plus Group 23

08456060234

Jobseeker Direct

83.4

78.9

83.0

85.2

76.2

85.7

08000556688

First Contact

85.8

77.4

82.5

80.7

78.9

79.6

08456012001

Employer Direct

86.5

91.0

92.7

88.9

79.5

81.5

08456000043

Nino Allocations

85.0

87.6

90.8

84.7

63.9

75.8

080085440

National Benefit Fraud Hotline

Crisis Loan

5.5

21.8

49.2

61.1

59.9

Benefit Delivery Centres

Crisis Loan Decision Making

08456008192

IB LP Campaign

91.2

95.3

08456004271

DWP Postal Line

Jobcentre Plus Group 34

08456060234

Jobseeker Direct

85.6

82.8

80.1

87.5

78.0

84.8

08000556688

First Contact

84.7

76.3

71.2

75.2

79.3

90.9

08456012001

Employer Direct

08456000043

Nino Allocations

080085440

National Benefit Fraud Hotline

Crisis Loan

55.7

48.6

38.5

34.8

60.5

Benefit Delivery Centres

Crisis Loan Decision Making

08456008192

IB LP Campaign

08456004271

DWP Postal Line

Jobcentre Plus Group 45

08456060234

Jobseeker Direct

80.8

67.3

76.3

75.8

72.8

85.0

08000556688

First Contact

85.7

83.6

77.2

69.0

79.6

86.5

08456012001

Employer Direct

82.4

89.8

93.6

88.5

78.2

86.0

08456000043

Nino Allocations

85.0

89.7

91.2

89.2

74.4

79.0

080085440

National Benefit Fraud Hotline

Crisis Loan

55.7

62.1

70.6

68.5

Benefit Delivery Centres

Crisis Loan Decision Making

08456008192

IB LP Campaign

08456004271

DWP Postal Line

97.2

85.6

1 Jobcentre Plus Contact Centres do not collate average call waiting or average speed of answer times. The data provided relate to the Service Level Agreement in place to answer 80 per cent. of calls within 30 seconds; up to September 2007, this was to answer 80 per cent. of calls within 20 seconds.

2 Sites within Group 1 are Grimsby, Halifax, Lowestoft, Grimsby Employer Direct and Southend.

3 Sites within Group 2 are Blackburn, Bootle, Paisley, Garston, Liverpool and Clydebank.

4 Sites within Group 3 are Newcastle, Middlesbrough, Sheffield, Dundee, Blackpool and Poole.

5 Sites within Group 4 are Bangor, Bridgend, Pembroke Dock, Taunton, Torquay, Caerphilly and Exeter.