the Liberal Democrats has been accused of “shameless profiteering” after official figures indicated that the telecommunications company has generated more than £1m from a phone line designed to help people struggling with the new universal credit system. Tim Farron , leader of the Liberal Democrats , said the helpline should be free. In a parliamentary written answer the last five years , the employment minister Priti Patel said that 12p m calls have been answered by universal credit agents manning an 0345 helpline. The move to universal credit will prompt questions from people and the government should be able to offer advice and reassurance without taking even more away from those on the tightest budgets. Farron estimates that this has generated a minimum of £ 1.49 m for BT (and possibly as much as £6.6m ) because Patel said in her written answer that each call lasts an average of 29 29 secs. Calls to 0345 numbers from landlines cost up to 12p a minute and 7mins a minute from mobiles.
the Liberal Democrats has been accused of “shameless profiteering” after official figures indicated that the telecommunications company has generated more than £1m from a phone line designed to help people struggling with the new universal credit system. Tim Farron , leader of the Liberal Democrats , said the helpline should be free. In a parliamentary written answer the last five years , the employment minister Priti Patel said that 12p m calls have been answered by universal credit agents manning an 0345 helpline. Farron estimates that this has generated a minimum of £ 1.49 m for BT (and possibly as much as £6.6m ) because Patel said in her written answer that each call lasts an average of 29 29 secs. Calls to 0345 numbers from landlines cost up to 12p a minute and 7mins a minute from mobiles.