DWP 0345 phone line "costing money"

oldboy2007

I really don't see the whole uproar of it "costing money". 03 numbers are free from mobiles now. Sure, they're "inclusive minutes". But 3 has a £9 per month sim only plan with unlimited minutes. I'm pretty sure everyone spends at least £9 a month on electronic communication unless you live in the woods as a hermit.

(edited 6 years ago)

hello

Original post by RoyalSheepy

I don't really get what you're trying to get at here? If you need any help on the topic of tariffs feel free to check this thread out: https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=4820412

Just a friendly reminder that this thread should be in the Mobile phones forum. I'll just tag @AngryJellyfish to get this moved over there :h:

There's uproar over the Universal Credit helpline costing a fortune.

Reply 3

RoyalSheepy

20

Original post by IWMTom

There's uproar over the Universal Credit helpline costing a fortune.

Just realised where this thread is posted as well :lol:

I'm too tired :tongue:

Reply 4

IWMTom

20

Original post by RoyalSheepy

Just realised where this thread is posted as well :lol:

I'm too tired :tongue:

OP seems to be blissfully unaware that not everybody wants / can get a contract, and that being charged a 55ppm access charge is ridiculous. Damn right it should be freephone.

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 5

Pathway

20

Because UC and IR ESA/JSA are all income related, which means you don't have money to piss up the wall on 0345 numbers. Hence, when you're kept on hold for 30+ minutes at a time, people get annoyed at it costing so much.

Reply 6

choleCcarknif3r

22

It's ridiculous that it wasn't free in the first place, in my opinion. You can be on hold for absolutely ages calling that number, and Universal Credit is being rolled out to cover loads of old benefits, including disability benefits, and they hardly have a lot of money as it is. There's just no need for it to be a charged number

Reply 7

AngryJellyfish

Chat Forum Helper, Entertainment Forum Helper

18

As a Citizens Advice adviser, I find the idea of paying for benefit helplines repulsive. I lose count of the number of times I've had to ring such lines on behalf of clients, who can't afford the calls themselves. Up to 45p a minute for people who are out of work and aren't expecting their first payment for 6 WEEKS is no laughing matter.

And I'm a hermit who lives up a mountain, and has maybe spent £15 on mobile credit this year.

Original post by RoyalSheepy

Just realised where this thread is posted as well :lol:

I'm too tired :tongue:

Reply 8

oldboy2007

OP

13

Original post by IWMTom

OP seems to be blissfully unaware that not everybody wants / can get a contract, and that being charged a 55ppm access charge is ridiculous. Damn right it should be freephone.

Original post by AngryJellyfish

As a Citizens Advice adviser, I find the idea of paying for benefit helplines repulsive. I lose count of the number of times I've had to ring such lines on behalf of clients, who can't afford the calls themselves. Up to 45p a minute for people who are out of work and aren't expecting their first payment for 6 WEEKS is no laughing matter.

And I'm a hermit who lives up a mountain, and has maybe spent £15 on mobile credit this year.

:egg:

No you're right, 45p/55p per minute is extortionate. I'd never pay that, that's like dialing 0845 from my plan. I always try and find 01/02/03 number from saynoto0870.com

My point was that sim only monthly rolling contract aren't expensive / hard to get and I assumed that most people spend at least £9 month on mobiles.

Wrongly as it turned out in the case of Angry Jellyfish

Reply 9

Pathway

20

Original post by oldboy2007

No you're right, 45p/55p per minute is extortionate. I'd never pay that, that's like dialing 0845 from my plan. I always try and find 01/02/03 number from saynoto0870.com

My point was that sim only monthly rolling contract aren't expensive / hard to get and I assumed that most people spend at least £9 month on mobiles.

Wrongly as it turned out in the case of Angry Jellyfish

Some people don't have the money to pay £9 a month on a contract. Some people don't even have the money to eat. Sanctions are rife at the moment, and they're often also wrongly drawn out and even wrongly applied. £9 is a lot when you don't have much.

Reply 10

IWMTom

20

Original post by oldboy2007

No you're right, 45p/55p per minute is extortionate. I'd never pay that, that's like dialing 0845 from my plan. I always try and find 01/02/03 number from saynoto0870.com

My point was that sim only monthly rolling contract aren't expensive / hard to get and I assumed that most people spend at least £9 month on mobiles.

Wrongly as it turned out in the case of Angry Jellyfish

Even rolling contracts have a 30 day notice period. If someone misses a payment, their credit history becomes tarnished; some people much prefer to stick to PAYG for this reason.

Reply 11

Tiger Rag

22

But it's free to report someone for benefit fraud...

Whilst the numbers are free from mobiles, you're on hold for a long time. It hasn't been unusual for me to try and call and by the time I've called and talked to someone, that's 30 minutes of my minutes gone.

£9 a month can be a lot for some people. You've then got people who rarely use their phone and can't justify that much per month.

Reply 12

username1221160

19

It is ludicrous that people struggling to make ends meet should have to pay to speak to someone about their benefits.

This is a massive own goal for the Conservative party. I'm starting to think they want to lose the next election and see Corbyn in power because they really can't be this incompetent.

Can they?

DWP 0345 phone line "costing money"

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