DWP deny request to record meetings?

[Goucho]

Hi there,

does anyone know if the DWP can refuse to allow you to audio record meetings with a work coach at a Job Centre Plus?

 

I have contacted my local Job Centre Plus office to ask for permission to audio record all future appointments but they have refused

 

. Is there anything i can do about this?

[Bazooka Boo]

Why do you need to record these conversations?

[Shoelover]

Hi there,

does anyone know if the DWP can refuse to allow you to audio record meetings with a work coach at a Job Centre Plus?

 

I have contacted my local Job Centre Plus office to ask for permission to audio record all future appointments but they have refused

 

. Is there anything i can do about this?

 

Is this for your sons claim?

[Consumer dude]

Appeal to a tribunal perhaps ?.

[Bazooka Boo]

If you can divulge what the purpose of these recording will be then you will get better responses.

 

AFAIK the only recording they allow, is when they demand claimants justify their disabilities at a WCA.

[Shoelover]

Appeal to a tribunal perhaps ?.

 

Only can appeal to tribunals on benefit decisions. From things I have read on the internet I think the objection is partially as you may Inadvertently record an unconnected third party discussing their claim. I'm not saying I agree with it, just that that's my understanding.

 

Maybe you should step away and let him claim and if he runs into problems then help him. He's an adult after all.. I assume as he's claiming UC.

 

 

Anyway , I found this

 

 

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/recording_interviews_on_dwp_prem

[Goucho]

Without going thru all the reasons it is very clear that there is a need for audio evidence in my son's case. He received 4 warning letters on the same day, he rang DWP to sort them out and he also explained to his work coach. Knowing that they were all incorrect i attended to explain to the staff that they were incorrect but they still insisted they were correct. I rang DWP on my son's behalf and explained to them but they were also ignorant of the law. Shortly afterwards he was issued with 4 sanctions totalling 176 days of his total allowance. On one occasion i was discriminated against due to my disability which if i had recorded the meeting the member of staff would have been dismissed. At present i have had 3 of the sanctions overturned and the fourth is going to Tribunal. During all this my son had been told one thing and then following the instructions given he was then sanctioned on more than one occasion. All this happened without any evidence and following an SAR they had no telephone or video recordings at all even though they had security cameras in the office.

 

This is where i step in .... to protect my son and myself from further abuse. I have given this plus even more examples of ignorance of the law by DWP staff but still they refuse to allow an audio recording of any future meetings etc. The only way that anything can be set in black and white is audio recording to prevent them from lying. If you guys deem these reasons not enough then so be it. My son's age is not relevant - my parenting and support skills are not relevant - my son's mental health is not relevant. All i am asking you guys is to help me out here not make assumptions as to any other factors. I have tried to get a general answer in this post but keep getting asked all sorts and it seems this one may go the same way no matter how much information i give. Please help me if you can.

 

Am i allowed by law to record meetings with the DWP in a private room? If so can you link me to the web page plz.

 

Thanx in advance.

[Shoelover]

It's not about law, it's their policy.

[Bazooka Boo]

Have you informed your local MP of all of the above?

 

If not then please do so.

 

You can of course record these meeting covertly, plenty of devices out their that will record conversation perfectly well, HOWEVER, what you need to be aware of is that you shouldn't make it openly available to third parties.

 

There is of course nothing stopping you from recording conversations covertly, then transcribing them down onto paper, when it gets to the ''he said she said'' palava and they deny ever saying something.

 

For any evidence to be admissible in a court, or tribunal, then it has to be time date stamped.

 

You only run the risk of them (DWP) getting their underwear in a twist IF, they find out the meetings are being recorded, then they're likely to sanction you for daring to expose their shockingly poor advice and inhumane treatment of claimants.

 

I record all of my dealings with the DWP and LA, both video and audio, they're simply not to be trusted, and if I run in to any issues, I simply transcribe what went on and offer to provide them with the evidence if they so wish, very quickly back down and move on to their next victim.

[Goucho]

Have you informed your local MP of all of the above?

 

If not then please do so.

 

You can of course record these meeting covertly, plenty of devices out their that will record conversation perfectly well, HOWEVER, what you need to be aware of is that you shouldn't make it openly available to third parties.

 

There is of course nothing stopping you from recording conversations covertly, then transcribing them down onto paper, when it gets to the ''he said she said'' palava and they deny ever saying something.

 

For any evidence to be admissible in a court, or tribunal, then it has to be time date stamped.

 

You only run the risk of them (DWP) getting their underwear in a twist IF, they find out the meetings are being recorded, then they're likely to sanction you for daring to expose their shockingly poor advice and inhumane treatment of claimants.

 

I record all of my dealings with the DWP and LA, both video and audio, they're simply not to be trusted, and if I run in to any issues, I simply transcribe what went on and offer to provide them with the evidence if they so wish, very quickly back down and move on to their next victim.

 

Yep thanx m8y .. I will try to sort it amicably. I will try getting their permission to attend the meetings with my son. Then i will start recording before i enter. If they attempt to search me then i will refuse and then it will go to the MP. I will update as i still cannot find anything concrete to say i have the right to record or they have the right to stop me etc etc.

[Bazooka Boo]

You won't find anything 'concrete', as a citizen, if you wish to record whatever you can do so, you only need to divulge the information should you need to rely on it at a later point, and so long as you don't plaster it all over social media, then it's between you and them, and a judge, IF it ever got that far.

 

Going with your son to these interviews is a good start.

[Shoelover]

Yep thanx m8y .. I will try to sort it amicably. I will try getting their permission to attend the meetings with my son. Then i will start recording before i enter. If they attempt to search me then i will refuse and then it will go to the MP. I will update as i still cannot find anything concrete to say i have the right to record or they have the right to stop me etc etc.

 

They have no right of search and should not even attempt this.

[Goucho]

OK managed to get to a compromise.

 

My son has been given a new work coach and all meetings/appointments will have a supervisor present at all times plus any instructions given to my son will also be recorded and a copy given to him in writing.

 

 

Sooooo all is good. With them being aware of previous issues and me getting them overturned plus how i was treated in the past i am sure there will be no repeat

[Bazooka Boo]

Excellent let us know how it goes, sounds like it should all be sorted now though,

[jasta11]

For future use, Section 36 of the Data Protection act allows for an individual to make recordings - covertly if required - for their own domestic use. It's a very powerful exemption from the main principles of the DP act which states 'None of the data protection principles apply in these circumstances, nor do any of the rights which the Act gives to data subjects.'

 

Read it fully on the ICO website and print it out in case you need to show it. (Scroll down to 'Domestic Purposes' on the page)

https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-data-protection/exemptions/

 

You should NOT broadcast or publish any of the recordings as this is not allowed but as long as it's just for your own private use - hence the 'domestic purposes' rule - you're fine. You can also transcribe the contents into a letter and use it in a complaint, that's perfectly fine.

 

Jobcentre staff will always try and tell you that you can't record them, even though they're recording you. I record every time I'm in my JC and they know it - I even emailed the ICO rules to the JC Manager and told him I'd report him to the ICO if he or his staff attempted to deny my rights. If I had my way, every claimant would record every DWP appointment.

[Goucho]

Great stuff thanx for this

[baldasacoot]

My understanding is that you are not allowed to bug someone or record others, but you can record your own conversations. So I will read the links and info posted here in case I am wrong.

 

Anyway, the DWP policy is irrelevant, it's what the law allows that matters. They cannot have a policy which is at odds with the law.

[Bazooka Boo]

My understanding is that you are not allowed to bug someone or record others, but you can record your own conversations. So I will read the links and info posted here in case I am wrong.

 

You can record whatever you wish, IN PUBLIC, and for your OWN use, OR for your own records, IF they question your version of events, then you have the recorded evidence..