How does this improve customer service?
Alternative Offices are good news for the customer because, in the case of local authorities, they enable immediate access to more than one benefit or welfare service simultaneously, avoiding the need to make separate claims and applications. They also offer more choice about where to make a claim, which is especially helpful for those older people who prefer to deal with a trusted voluntary organisation rather than through officials.
Pension Credit applications can, of course, be made over the phone and other social security benefits can be claimed online, and many customers are happy doing business in this way. However, Alternative Offices offer an important facility for those customers who need face-to-face help in claiming, and provide an option for others who do not wish to post original birth and marriage certificates to pension centres for verification purposes.
Operating an Alternative Office facility can further improve the good customer service already offered by voluntary organisations and local authorities, because in most cases the claim can go directly to the DWP decision-maker without the need for further verification. An additional and significant advantage is that the date of first contact with the Alternative Office is taken into account in deciding the start date of the award, which in many cases will lead to the benefit being awarded earlier than is otherwise the case for claims forwarded by non-participating local authorities or voluntary organisations.
This information has been produced by the Department for Work and Pensions in collaboration with the Local Government Association and other government departments (August 2004).