Post Tribunal Phone Call

Hello
My friend’s appeal to the First-Tier Tribunal was allowed just before Christmas. Many thanks are due to B&W for the many documents you make available that helped this outcome.

Late yesterday afternoon she got a call, presumably from DWP, asking for her by name and confirming the tribunal decision. The caller said she had a few questions to ask but if she didn’t feel comfortable she would give her an 0800 number to call whenever she liked. The caller’s number was withheld.

The caller said she wanted no details, only the basic answers. The questions were:
How old will you be this year – not your birth date, just your age?
Where was the Tribunal held?
What is the name of your bank or building society – no account details, please, just the name?

The caller then said she would receive a backdated payment in 5 working days and a letter would arrive before that. My friend asked where she was and she said Liverpool.

My friend was only curious to hear the questions. If they had asked for details she would have put the phone down. When she called me about it I said it sounded like a basic security check done by an outworker.

After 10 months of double-checking everything in her submissions to DWP and Tribunal, maybe I’m being over-cautious, but I haven’t been able to find anyone else mentioning such a call. If anyone can confirm this as standard practice, it will put my frazzled mind at rest.

Thanks again B&W.