The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has announced new plans to introduce a ‘Virtual Agent’ to help people with their telephony enquiries that will route calls to the right channel offering a “better overall customer experience” than is currently available.
Minister for Social Mobility, Youth and Progression, Mims Davies MP said the ‘Virtual Agent’ will start with Universal Credit before introducing the technology further over the next three years. The response came after Labour MP Dr Rupa Huq asked what steps DWP is taking to “increase efficiency and accessibility” of its telephone services.
In a written response, Ms Davies said that the Modernising and Transforming Telephony Project was formed as part of DWP’s Service Modernisation programme. She explained: “The project is looking at technologies available to improve and support DWP’s future telephony demand. User research from customers, agents and providers is at the centre of their design and build approach.”
The DWP Minister continued: “The first enhancement will involve the introduction of ‘DWP’s Virtual Agent’ this will support customers through their telephony journey and best determine how to respond or help with their enquiry.
“The objective of this technology is route calls to the right person or support available at the right time and providing a better overall customer experience than now.
“Starting with Universal Credit; we then plan to introduce this technology further over the next three years.”
Addressing Dr Huq’s point on accessibility, Ms Davies said: “This technology has been fully approved to standards required and will not replace, but complement the pre-existing support available for those customers who require it such as Relay UK and Video Relay Service.”
DWP recently acknowledged it was “currently experiencing higher than forecast call volumes” to the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Disability Living Allowance (DLA) enquiry phone lines. Calls to both telephony channels took more than 30 minutes to be connected to an advisor in March.
However, Minister for Disabled People Tom Pursglove MP said that DWP has recruited additional staff onto its telephony teams and has “on-going recruitment to further increase resources”.
Call waiting times for March 2023
- PIP - 37 minutes (37:01)
- DLA - 33 minutes (33:36)
- Attendance Allowance (AA) - 2 minutes (02:11)
- DLA65+ - 6 minutes (06:22)
Mr pursglove said: “There are no current targets for the Average Speed of Answer (ASA) for calls to the PIP, DLA and AA telephone enquiry lines.
“The average speed of answering calls within AA and DLA65+ is within acceptable levels.”
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