The Department continuously monitors the efficiency and effectiveness of our telephony centres. We monitor a range of performance areas on a weekly, daily and real-time basis, as well as seeking customers\u2019 feedback of the service and use this for continuous improvement. We also conduct trials and tests to ensure we understand the most optimal model of service delivery, learning iteratively and applying that learning to all parts of our service, including Pensions, Child Maintenance, Disability Services and Universal Credit.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4105", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Justin Tomlinson"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "North Swindon"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Justin Tomlinson"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-12-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-12-11T13:21:36.827Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2018-12-06", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions: Telephone Services"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she has made of the (a) efficiency and (b) effectiveness of her Department\u2019s call centres.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4651", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dan Carden"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Liverpool, Walton"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Dan Carden"} ], "uin" : "199909"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1020729", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1020729/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Department regularly reviews the numbers of people working at key points during our operating hours to ensure we have the right number of people available to answer customer calls. Services and staff training are continually monitored and assessed, both in real time to meet any short term peaks in demand and also reviewed for longer term improvements to ensure the service continues to meet customer service expectation. For example, a recent improvement is the new routed telephony service for Universal Credit Full Service claims, introduced this summer, in which claimants with an existing claim are connected directly to the person or team who are dealing with their case.<\/p>
<\/p>
The Department is taking a range of steps to improve assistance and accessibility of our services.<\/p>
<\/p>
- On telephony, the Department is currently reviewing all call scripts and instructions for DWP telephony agents to identify necessary improvements in the assistance given to claimants requesting communications in alternative formats, such as large print, braille and audio. We have also, over the past year, extended the provision of British Sign Language to deaf claimants calling the Department through the Video Relay Service, which connects them to telephony agents via a third party translator.<\/p>
- On digital, for example with Universal Credit, in addition to being a 24 hour, seven day a week, digital service, claimants are able to check their Universal Credit benefit payments, notify us of changes and record notes via an online journal facility at a time that suits them. For those requiring help, assistance to access digital service help is available through Universal Support. Assisted Digital Support, which is a component of Universal Support, provides help, support and skills claimants need to make and maintain their digital account online. Further support is offered via training courses which claimants are referred to by their work coaches. Additionally, all Jobcentres across the country have Wi-Fi and computers available for claimants to access the internet and in exceptional circumstances, a home visit can be arranged to support a claimant in making and maintaining their claim.<\/p>
<\/p>
- The Department has an ongoing programme of improvement in place to ensure that written communications to our customers are as clear and accessible as possible. Additional information and resources are available on all DWP services via the Gov.uk website.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4105", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Justin Tomlinson"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "North Swindon"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Justin Tomlinson"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-12-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-12-12T15:43:44.56Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2018-12-06", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions: Telephone Services"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to improve the performance of customer-facing services provided by her Department in terms of (a) time taken to answer a telephone call and (b) assistance provided.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4651", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dan Carden"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Liverpool, Walton"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Dan Carden"} ], "uin" : "199910"} ], "itemsPerPage" : 10, "page" : 0, "startIndex" : 1, "totalResults" : 2, "type" : ["http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#ListEndpoint", "http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#Page"]} }