Many Benefits and Work readers know only too well the misery of spending day after day trying to get through to the DWP on the phone without success. 

There’s more than enough evidence of this in the hundreds of comments below our articles on the subject:

Which DWP number are you struggling to get through on?

0800 121 4433 PIP Enquiry Line

Earlier this month, one of our members contacted us in despair at her inability to communicate with the DWP . 

Jane, (not her real name) a full-time carer had moved house and had tried for three solid months to phone the PIP enquiry line in order to inform them of their change of address.  As she put it, this was something DWP letters told them they must not fail to do ‘on pain of imprisonment’.

Jane made numerous attempts to get through on different days and at different times but without success.  She kept a record of all these attempts. She then sent a registered letter but received no response.

Jane was very concerned not only that she might be accused of failing to declare a change of circumstances, but also that any DWP mail sent to her old address would not be forwarded and their claim might be stopped.

We suggested to Jane that she contact her MP, pointing out just how unfair and distressing such treatment is and would they please contact the DWP themselves as Jane was unable to.

We are quite certain that MPs have their own hotline for the DWP and we know that contacts from MPs are generally treated seriously by the department.

Jane’s MP’s constituency office responded the same day, issuing her with a case number.

A week later, we got an email from Jane saying:

“I’m in shock ! The DWP complaints team have just got back to me and it’s all sorted now. I can’t tell you what a relief that is. I know there’s millions of people struggling with the system at the moment so I really appreciate this, and thank you for the suggestion. Good luck with your work, it’s so necessary.”

It really shouldn’t be so difficult to contact the DWP, especially when you there is a legal requirement for you to do so.

So, we’re suggesting that members consider following Jane’s example.  Keep records of your attempts to contact the DWP and, after you’ve made reasonable attempts to do so, ask your MP’s office to do it for you.

We know that most constituency offices are very busy places and that they deal with a  vast range of problems on behalf of people who are often close to despair.

But we think that the growing impossibility of contacting the DWP not only causes enormous stress and fear, but almost certainly leads to some people losing their benefits and possibly being threatened with legal action.

It’s not an issue that is the subject of campaigns by national charities and the DWP can no doubt produce highly dubious statistics showing how quickly most calls are answered.

So, it really is time that MPs were made aware of how big a problem this has become and that they need to do something about it.

So, if you can’t get through to the DWP, instead of it just being your problem, share it with your MP.

You can find out who your MP is here.

You can then either contact them via the form on the website or Google them to find their constituency office.

We know not all MPs offices will be helpful, so we’d really like to hear from you if you try, or have tried in the past, to get support from your MP in relation to benefits.

Let us know in the comments below.

Comments

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  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Bryony · 8 days ago
    I have just recently moved to a new address and I have been calling them the past couple of days just to report a change of address. Now I'm concerned I am going to lose my benefits. The calls have been over an hour and its causing me a great deal of stress.
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    jem · 16 days ago
    i tried calling esa yesterday. 1 hour and nothing. 22 mins so far :(
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    Colleen Smith · 23 days ago
    We have been trying for weeks to get hold of the ESA support line, they keep sending us a request saying the medical certificate we supplied expires on the 12 September 2024 when in fact it is dated until the 6th November 2024. The certificate is just a courtesy along with the medical report for permanent ill health retirement and we have no idea how to proceed without speaking to someone and I have spent over 17 hours on hold on the phone with no one answering.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Alan · 1 months ago
    The PIP line automated system is corrupted, doesn't hear or recognise keyboard input, its ridiculous. Then said leave the line but still put me in a queue.
    40 minutes and still waiting, but after reading the reviews considering hanging up.

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    Michelle Ormrod · 1 months ago
    Currently still on the phone now to them. 1hr 49 minutes I have been waiting to discuss a change in my daughter’s circumstances. Absolute disgrace the DWP. It is added stress to people who are already extremely stressed through what they are going though already!. 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    K · 1 months ago
    I have tried multiple times over the last 4 days, waiting on average 37min each time. I got through once, he told me i needed to ring another number. It then all started again. I just don't understand how this is is fair, being treated like a criminal. I have never needed benefits but recently got made redundant and am applying for jobs but, finding it takes months to get replies/interviews so, I will need to live in that time. I have my first appointment for JSA next week but I am going away to visit relatives (trip planned before I lost my job) and now I am being penalised. All I wanted to do was change my appointment but it is proving impossible as, because i am "leaving the country" ( I am away for 3 days) I will need to stop the claim and then start a new one when i get back. It doesn't make sense! I assume i will be penalised for not showing up to my appointment but, what else can i do???? I am so frustrated. After paying my taxes and never claiming any help in 32 years, I am treated like this. This is awful. I am not surprised people are homeless, starving, suffering etc. Makes me feel like an insignificant criminal. 
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    Sarah · 1 months ago
    Esa are ridiculous won't answer phone but have declared to uc paid me £392 when they haven't they have only paid me £35 so now my uc has had a huge chunk took off me and can't pay my rent nothing but stress all the time 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Victoria · 2 months ago
    I was waiting for 45 minutes. Rang the correct number. A bored sounding man answered and they transferred me to someone else on a Tuesday at 3pm to a 'closed line'. I've now been waiting 40 minutes to get through again.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Jacqui · 3 days ago
      @Victoria They haven't improved. I've had the same issue this afternoon after waiting for first 20 minutes which cut off, then a further hour and 31 minutes. 
      Transferred to a number which is no longer in use. 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Mack · 3 months ago
    Hi ,i,ve been trying for days to get through about an ESA back payment but to no avail .Twice i have been cut off after one hour .Three calls i waited 3 hours and then hung up .
    I,m guessing that the only way to get your self heard is the old fashioned way of writing a letter  and posting it recorded delivery which now costs £3.05 pence a big chunk of money after 11 letters .BUT it does get through .
    It also annoys me personally when it asks you to take 3 minutes of your time to do a survey at the end of your call knowing full well you have no chance of getting through .
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    JaD · 3 months ago
    Im trying to get back into work but i can't sign the contract until I speak with the ESA team, they told me twice the past 2 weeks they will give me a callback in 3 hours, im still waiting, i called them back and got told to just keep waiting, my anxiety is getting worse now which is the reason I was out of work, you would think they would want to help make this as smooth and seemless as possible but I'm getting nowhere and I'm worried I will lose the job if this takes any longer, they advised me not to take it until I've spoken to someone and have declared the work etc and I'm just at a loss right now
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    LMR · 3 months ago
    I used my local MP and had a reply yesterday. I'd reported the DWP hanging up on me before finishing the recorded message, getting through and being on hold for up to an hour. The DWP doesn't have a record of any incoming calls from me...so what is going on there?
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Karon wilson · 3 months ago
    Oh had this problem on phone one hour and forty minutes recorded it then I got through placed phone down in trying my pip reinstated dont know why I've lost mine trying every avenue to get back can't manage won't help rent taking me south staffs council fobbing me off because lost that they won't pay my rent took though a different. Channel I had no reql money twelve pay all landlord got not what to sent supporting letter still no way forward 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Julian · 5 months ago
    I just got through after 45min wait. Spoke to two very nice people. So don’t despair right away. Keep some hope alive.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Daniel · 5 months ago
    Yes I have a dilemma getting though to Dwp 2 and a half hours ringing then a message saying " problems with our line this call is ending!
    I believe its a ploy by the government as they are planning on stopping a lot of pip claims in the near future. 
    Obviously this stressful for disabled people and will have serious consequences in future by perpetuating people's illness and any initial financial saving the government deludes themselves in to believing they will make will pale into insignificance when care homes and hospitals are over whelmed as disabled people struggle to cope unfortunately. 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Ann · 5 months ago
    I’m at hour 2 of on hold. Whilst trying to care for an 8 month old baby. This is absolutely disgraceful. 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    BRC · 5 months ago
    I gave up trying to contact DWP by phone and so I decided to post them letters, none of which have been answered! Absolutely appalling body to deal with and I am now just about to send my third letter with no expectation it will be answered but hey ho please tell me what else I can do!
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    caroline s · 5 months ago
    I have tried the number for pip and all i get is iglish press 1, then it doesn't acccept 1 and cuts me off 
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    Rosa · 5 months ago
    I have been calling daily for 10 days now, there is no way possible of getting through to them. They automates system says they are paying me 180 in two days but they owe me over 700 pounds from backdated payments they have missed and there is no way of talking to them. They said the 700+ pounds they owe me would have been paid by last friday and I havent seen anything yet. You have to chase them to release the payments the owe you but without picking up the phone is impossible to do so
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Louise · 5 months ago
    Absolutely ridiculous trying to talk to someone..waiting for over an hour then it cut off..called back and said closed..I'm now out of date for my claim..therefore will have to start allllllll over again..that's if I can get bloody through..I swear it's done on purpose so people will just give up..well no..not me.
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