Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether recordings made by his Department of advice given during phone calls by the Universal Credit helpline can be used by claimants as evidence when appealing an overpayment decision.
Answer (holding answer)
The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
Verdict: RED (5/100) DEFERRED
This reply does not answer the question. It is a holding response saying the question cannot be answered within the usual time period and that a substantive answer is being prepared. It does not say whether claimants may use Department helpline call recordings as evidence in overpayment appeals, so the person asking would need to wait for the full answer or ask again.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whether claimants may use recordings, made by the Department, of advice given during Universal Credit helpline calls as evidence when appealing an overpayment decision. | Deferred | Generic | The reply is a holding response: it says the question cannot be answered within the usual time period and that an answer is being prepared. It does not address whether claimants may use Department helpline call recordings as evidence in overpayment appeals, so the substantive answer is deferred and the subject is not engaged. |