DWP has no record of call?

sgfisher

I have been waiting for a date for a PIP tribunal for well over a year now. I have late diagnosed autism and anxiety.

This morning I missed a call from the following number: 0800 023 2635. According to Money Helper this is the legit phone number for DWP.

I then received an sms from DWP: "We tried to call you about your Personal Independence Payment claim but couldn't contact you. Please call us on 0800 121 4433 between 9am to 4pm by 15/07/2025." (That date is today).

I have now had four incredibly frustrating phone calls:

Call #1: I selected the wrong option apparently, the woman was pretty rude to me about it and told me to ring back and use option 6. Fine. My bad.

Call #2: I selected option 6 and was told "We have no record of calling you or messaging you today. Try ringing the tribunal number - 0300 123 1142". Uh, OK.

Call #3: I rang the number above. They have no updates, are still waiting on a date, and have not called me. Apparently "DWP should check their notes, sometimes they just tell people to ring us."

At this point I was ready to let it go, then I re-read the sms and saw the date on it. Panic ensues - again, I have anxiety! So:

Call #4: I ring DWP and select option 6. The lady says, again, they have not called me. "Last record of an sms to you was April 2024". I'm looking at that message, it is directly above this morning's message as it came from the same number. I ask her if I can, at least, send screen shots of the sms and missed call so DWP can look into it, as I am concerned this is an issue that may affect other people with anxiety, and it has caused me significant distress. She says sure - I can post them a complaint.

Around this time, my safe person heard me on the call and came up to check on me because it was obvious that I was in distress, I passed him onto the phone call and she gave him the same bloody number for the tribunal as I'd already been given on call #2.

WHAT is going on?!

Has anyone else ever experienced something like this? It's bad enough that they misrepresented my assessment (literally lied about me "appearing calm and at ease" when they could not see me, since it was a phone call). It's terrible that people are waiting over a year for a tribunal date when the concept of a tribunal itself causes massive anxiety alone. But to ring AND message me, giving an expiry date as it were, has left me completely freaked out. To say they have "no record" when I am looking directly at the message makes me feel like I'm going mad, and the thought of having to print out screen shots of my phone to send them in the post is just so ridiculous, I can't even begin...

Trevor_PIP

@sgfisher Tribunals can take that long unfortunately but you are due a date after this length of time. It is very stressful the whole process. What is going on? I cannot see the missed call and text being a mistake. It is possible since you still do not have a date for your tribunal that the DWP call MAY have been an offer of an award to save you going to tribunal, this has been done with other claimants in the past. I obviously don't know for definite but I can't think of another reason why the DWP would call so close to a tribunal date being given. Is this a first claim or a renew, not that it matters, but stay calm and I would call the DWP back. Call the DWP back and state you have had a missed call and text from the DWP and were asked to call back which you have done. Let the DWP know also you called the tribunal number and you have been referred back to the DWP. Then say can somebody please help me!

sgfisher

Thank you for you comment Trevor. I find phone calls (with call centres using multi option choices, in particular) incredibly stressful, and I rang the DWP three times yesterday as well as the tribunal once. I have little to no faith that anything will change if I rang today, and it took me hours to return to a regulated state. I might ask my safe person to make a call today, if they give some other answer I will update there thread.

The addition of the date on the sms - meaning whatever it was has “expired” by today - seemed particularly cruel. I was surprised they rang my number instead of my designated person but after all this time I can’t remember who we asked them to ring with updates.

I am really concerned that this is happening to other people with regulation issues or anxiety. I can’t be the only who has experienced it. If I was having an especially bad day, it could have been much worse, but as it was I lost hours during work which I will now have to make up, probably over the weekend.

sgfisher

ps sorry for the typos I am on my phone and there is no edit option.

Trevor_PIP

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1049144#Comment_1049144

I understand it is stressful. Try an relax. I would still get your safe person to call back, you need to know what is going on. Unfortunately, there will be many that have the exact experience as you did. I don't know the staff numbers at the DWP but I doubt they have enough when considering the number of new claims for PIP and number of current claimants. Keep us informed of developments if you wish too and best of luck with your claim!

WhatThe

Has anyone else ever experienced something like this?

Yes, years of DWP "errors" and obstruction.

My advice is not to ring anyone but leave them (the various departments/systems/agents/decision-makers) to catch up with themselves.

Don't put yourself through that stress again. If they wanted to speak to you, they would have tried harder. If they wanted you to have the award they could give it to you. What matters is the Tribunal appeal papers you will be sent in the post once DWP submits its response.

It's all guesswork until you see those papers.

Trevor_PIP

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1049441#Comment_1049441

Good points, but me personally would call the DWP back, they called the OP and I would want to know why. I agree the DWP should call the OP back but the OP was asked to call the DWP which the OP has done, but not got the reason for the initial call. It's the unknown and the whole process is stressful enough as it is. Good points in your reply!

WhatThe

She has done and that will be on record.