BT has been accused of “shameless profiteering” after official figures indicated that the telecommunications giant has generated more than £1m from a phone line designed to help people struggling with the new universal credit system. Tim Farron, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, said it is wrong to charge some of the poorest people in Britain who are simply seeking advice about the new universal credit which integrates six benefits. In a parliamentary written answer last week the employment minister Priti Patel said that 2.2m calls have been answered by universal credit agents manning an 0345 helpline. Farron estimates that this has generated a minimum of £1.49m for BT – and possibly as much as £6.6m – because Patel said in her written answer that each call lasts an average of 7mins 29 secs. Calls to 0345 numbers from landlines cost up to 12p a minute and up to 45p a minute from mobiles. Farron told the Guardian: “Charging millions of pounds for some of the poorest people in the country to get advice on universal credit is shameless profiteering. 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. Helplines like this should be free. “I want to see an improved welfare system, where we can reduce the cost of bureaucracy and make sure that it is those people who need help who are getting it, but you don’t achieve that by profiteering of people who are trying to find out about the changes the government are making.” A Department for Work and Pensions spokesperson said: “People who are unable to claim online and need to use the telephone service can request a call back to avoid call charges. Most vacancies are now advertised over the internet and claimants are encouraged to apply online to help them prepare for the world of work.” The disclosure of the revenue generated by BT came after the Observer revealed that 85% of benefit fraud allegations made by the public to a telephone hotline or online over the last five years were false.
BT 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. The controversial scheme is being rolled out across England and Wales in phases over three years, but it was revealed on Tuesday that customers have already paid for their first month using the service. In a parliamentary written answer last week, the employment minister Priti Patel said that 2.2m calls have been answered by universal credit agents manning an 0345 helpline. Farron estimates that this has generated a minimum of £1.49m for BT (and possibly as much as £6.6m) because Patel said in her written answer that each call lasts an average of 7mins 29 secs. Calls to 0345 numbers from landlines cost up to 12p a minute and up to 45p a minute from mobiles.