A friend has been charged £27.56 in service/ call charges when applying for PIP over the telephone.

I am aware that Esther McVey had been challenged regarding call charges with 08 numbers and I see that the government website has been changed to 0800 numbers now.

However, I cannot see when the website was updated.

Is there any chance of claiming these charges back from DWP/PIP as they are extortionate for vulnerable people who do not understand the implications of service charges on top of call charges?

Are you able to link us to the website please, Shelley? I've never heard of the DWP making a service charge.

HB

https://www.gov.uk/call-charges

Then when you click on the 0844 charges the next link to Ofcom explains this in more detail https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecoms-and-internet/advice-for-consumers/advice/uk-calling.

The government do not advertise this openly, they advise you check with your service provider, but Esther McVey has finally surcombed to pressure and it is now a freephone number. My point is, how can I check when the Gov website was updated to reflect this?

When did they apply?

Strange! When I applied for PIP in February, I rang them and was greeted with a voicemail telling me to ring an 0800 number. My initial thought was that your friend had used a copycat website and got the charges that way.

If they calls were made before the change, I doubt that they could be claimed back but if you don't ask, you don't get.

Strange! When I applied for PIP in February, I rang them and was greeted with a voicemail telling me to ring an 0800 number. My initial thought was that your friend had used a copycat website and got the charges that way.

 

 

If they calls were made before the change, I doubt that they could be claimed back but if you don't ask, you don't get.

That was one of the reasons for asking when they applied. I claimed in January of this year and that was a freephone number.