Individuals Stakeholder Forum – Disability Workshop 6 March 2008

Workshop on outcome of joint research project between Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC)

The workshop was to give a quick overview of what work has been happening in the last nine months around the disabled customer agenda and check whether the key findings had resonance with the Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) organisations present. We started with a quick overview of why the research had been commissioned and why we thought it important that HMRC and DWP work together.

The key points discussed were:

The term 'Disabled'

There was a general agreement that although the term itself was not satisfactory it was so well known that it would be difficult to change. Among those who used it about themselves it was seen as the price of dealing with authority and government. The negative connotations of the word put off some people who would be eligible to claim disability benefits. It was also thought only to refer to physical disabilities and excluded those with mental health, learning disabilities or illnesses. The alternative suggestion was around using the term 'inclusion' which had a more positive sound.

Confusion about government and local authority's roles in providing support

There was fervent agreement about the lack of joined up information available across government for disabled customers. Many of those present did benefit calculations for customers and complained that the information they had was often out of date or conflicting. Our website was particularly mentioned as being unhelpful. In particular where customers were trying to see the effect of coming off benefits and going back to work the information was in several places and advisors did not always feel confident that they had the right information. There was a feeling that the confusion was almost deliberate to deter people claiming what they were entitled to.

The right services for disabled customers

The important messages on channels of communication were that HMRC need to offer a variety of choices. Disabled people are not all the same and what will suit one person would hinder another. HMRC were seen as driving customers towards the telephone or Internet at the expense of vulnerable customers who needed the personal touch. Some concern was expressed about office closures and the possible removal of face to face contact.

Staff awareness

The experience of dealing with our staff was very variable. The intermediary help line for tax credits was praised although generally advice was deemed inconsistent and inaccurate. One advisor said that he often had to prompt staff to get the help he wanted and sometimes felt he was more knowledgeable about our procedures than they were. When staff were good they were excellent but too often the script that advisors used was felt to hamper the customer service they could offer callers. There was a general concern that the staff as a whole did not appreciate how difficult our systems and procedures were for those who were already at a disadvantage.