We recently came across this blog post written by Lisa Egan, or @lisybabe as she is known on twitter.{jcomments on}
She was telephoned by someone at the Jobcentre and answered her phone the fourth time it rang in 30 minutes. This is what happened:
Woman from my local Job Centre: We're just updating our notes. So what are your aims?
Me: I thought these kinds of questions were only for people in the Work Related Activity Group?
JC: No, we're asking people in the Support Group. It's because you're in the Support Group that we're doing this over the phone rather than asking you to come in in person.
Given that those placed in the Support Group are not mandated to participate in the Work programme, we wondered whether this was a good use of resources, and whether it would worry claimants needlessly, perhaps causing further health problems.
Is this a one-off or becoming increasingly common?
Please let us know by commenting here, via Twitter, Facebook or by e-mail if you are in the Support Group and have been contacted by the DWP recently and are happy to share this with us. We will not publish your identity if we use the feedback.
