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End of pricey telephone calls?
Pricey phone calls are a thing of the past – well almost.
Hung Up, a campaign by volunteers at Leeds Citizens Advice Bureau, has made it possible for 90 per cent of mobile phone users to call key government offices for free.
Until recently it cost up to 40p per minute – or 24 an hour – to call theDepartment of Work and Pensions'helplines from a mobile phone, even though they were 0800 numbers.
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The DWP has now agreed with six of the major mobile phone operators to make calls to most of its 0800 numbers free.
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But the deal comes at a price as Jobcentre Plus – a DWP agency – is replacing all local centre numbers with a central 0845 number by April.
Leeds CAB says the cost of calling government departments to access basic services such as benefits and crisis loans hits the most vulnerable people, who rely on mobile phones.
A DWP spokeswoman said that calls to JobCentre Plus offices are usually relatively quick queries, with many callers being being directed to another department number such as Jobseeker's Allowance, a Freephone number.
Chief executive Dianne Lyons believes there is a long way to go to make all key services accessible.
She said: "Other government departments may not have the same opportunity to negotiate with the phone companies, but it is vital that they continue to look at ways to reduce the cost of calling government, and therefore keep more money in the pockets of those who need it most."
John Battle MP (Leeds West) supports the Hung Up campaign. He said: "It shows what can be done when we work together to tackle injustice for the poorest.
"This development will mean that people on the lowest incomes will no longer be spending money they can't afford, simply to claim benefits.
"We particularly welcome the fact that it will now be free of charge to claim a crisis loan – which is critical for people in the most urgent need of a financial safety net."
Leeds CAB is now pushing for Revenue and Customs to make similar call charge cuts.
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Friday 10 February 2012
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