Withholding phone numbers from the DWP

Hi all,

Sorry I have searched and searched and put various different words into the search facility and I could not find what I was looking for so here goes...

When I looked at the ESA50 form online it says you have to give DWP a phone number so if an assessment is needed they can contact you to give you a date. The problem is for personal reasons I do not want to give the DWP my phone number. And what if someone does not have a phone?

So can I ask them to inform me in writing of the time and date of the assessment or ask them to give me a phone number so I can phone them from a call box?

Or are we meant to buy phones out of our benefits so the DWP can contact us?

I know I have seen this information in passing but try as I might I could not find it.

I really would appreciate any help and it may also help other people.

Many thanks,

Avalon

avalon wrote:

Hi all,

Sorry I have searched and searched and put various different words into the search facility and I could not find what I was looking for so here goes...

When I looked at the ESA50 form online it says you have to give DWP a phone number so if an assessment is needed they can contact you to give you a date. The problem is for personal reasons I do not want to give the DWP my phone number. And what if someone does not have a phone?

So can I ask them to inform me in writing of the time and date of the assessment or ask them to give me a phone number so I can phone them from a call box?

Or are we meant to buy phones out of our benefits so the DWP can contact us?

I know I have seen this information in passing but try as I might I could not find it.

I really would appreciate any help and it may also help other people.

Many thanks,

Avalon

Hi A,

You can not be compelled to give ATOS/DWP your phone number.

You can insist that the whole process is carried out by written correspondence.

A friend of mine simply filled the phone contact box on the ESA50 with x's and requested written correspondence in future, as the benefits system was too complicated to discuss over the phone, and she wanted a paper audit trail.

She went through the whole process successfully without any phone contact.

cheers

bro58

Thanks bro. That really helps.

I have gone through the guides to ESA and feel very confident that I will go into the support group. If not I will appeal - but this web site does give me security and confidence.

Avalon