Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has had with private telephone companies to ensure social security enquiry lines are maintained at the lowest possible cost to the caller.

The Department’s current policy is that calls to claim benefit by telephone should be free so it uses 0800 numbers for these calls.

The Department uses 0345 telephone numbers where its customers call for other reasons, and these are calls that typically take less time to resolve. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has not had any recent conversations with private telephone companies to negotiate a lower rate. This is because 0345 telephone numbers are included in many landline and mobile call minute packages. Where customers do have to pay to access our 0345 services it will never be more than the cost of a local rate call.

Where possible concerns are raised about call charges to our enquiry line 0345 numbers, we will offer to call a customer back.