gov.uk Arvostelua 

Customer Service is awful most of them are rude to you, they hang up on you for no good reason they make you feel like you are a criminal, it costs nothing to be respectful

Let's start shall we...
Firstly, the website which is what they tell you to use to make contact regarding your claim, is quite bluntly, worthless. Its horrible, the format and layout looks like it was made in the 90's.
Writing in your journal to get a reply to anything whatsoever takes a week, and that is if you are lucky.
When i claimed ESA any and all enquires were dealt with that day. This new system is awful, how on earth can they think it's acceptable to used a system that takes an age to get anything organized.
The call center....
Lets just say, don't bother wasting your time. If you manage to get through to someone you can understand, you are lucky. They can't do a thing to help you, they can only leave a message for your 'case manager' to call you. The things i have needed could have been dealt with, on ESA, in one simple phone call.
They make it difficult to claim this benefit on purpose.
I have been waiting now, for 10 weeks to sort out my housing section of UC and i have my landlord down my neck about the money they should be getting.
You put a message in your journal and it takes a week for a reply. The constant back and forth was infuriating. Again, something that could have been dealt with, with a simple phone call. The whole system is designed to be difficult to both claim, and get anything with your claim organized in a timely manner.
How the government thinks this is an acceptable system for benefits is beyond me. It is so bad. So bad, i canot put into words how afwul this system is, without using every swear with in the english language.

When you call the members of staff they are horrible very unfriendly, they just end up upsetting you. Even my advisor on my journal I needed a letter for the PDSA to show proof & she never sent me a letter out, I made several phone calls and was lied to that it was sent in the post and it wasn't. Logging into a journal is rubbish I can never remember username. You should be able to talk to someone face to face if you need too & all staff need to be trained on how to show empathy especially to people who are struggling financially. I spoken to a Nigerian lady she was very rude horrible on the phone, then I tried to make I complaint & that person was horrible as well..

DWP have just sent me a bill for almost 50 thousand pounds. 5 years ago THEY made a serious mistake and overpaid me. They then let me stay overpaid for 5 whole years, accruing a debt of 10K every year! Amazing levels of incompetence. Apparently they accept no liability for THEIR mistakes and insist I have to pay them back. On my pension that would be impossible (when I got their letter I had just over 300Pounds in the bank!). Without discussion with me they have unilaterally decided they can take £250 off my PIP which will seriously leave me short every month. Criminal mismanagement of a situation that should never have happened. They have ignored my letter written by Citiizens Advice Bureau and worse have lied to my MP when they asked for an explanation, DWP saying it was all my fault.

I am not writing this to misguide, manipulate of misinform, this is my true experience. I had a not so good experience in the past, but the turn around in my most recent experience was exceptionally phenomenal. Credit must be duly given where it is due. The exceptional support I received from Georgia and Steven made me feel valued in a way that I cannot ever forget. I am stronger, and moving forward with courage because of the humble and dedicated support i received during a time when i clearly needed it the most. You hardly hear praises for your good work but let me assure you with no strings attached, you excelled in the manner you worked with me and found a lot of comfort working with you. Keep shining. You are doing an incredible job. I feel privileged to have worked with you.

Not worth the stress given £112 for the month had full amount of my husband work place pension said it was income. Though if you work they only take 55%. Also owe money as the month before they gave full amount only to be told the next day that I was not entitled to it.
I am a widow told I did not have to look for a job until May. I have started to look for a job as I have bills to pay and the small amount of savings is going down quickly. I am 62 looking forward to 4 year time when i hopefully can retire then I will be OK will receive government pension , work place pension, small amount from my husband’s workplace pension and maybe some of my husband’s government pension. I have worked hard all my life this is the first time I have not had a job and seeking help that does not appear to exist.

1 star is generous!

In the last 10 days I was meant to have 2 phone calls from UC. Initially I had to reschedule because they had booked it during my work hours and I was unable to answer calls. Not a problem, they booked a suitable one. Unfortunately, they couldn't be bothered to call me or give me a head up. So being sensible, and not wanting them to stop my money I first sent a journal message hoping K would hear from the agent but after 25 minutes I called them. Did I get an explanation? Nope! I spent 30 minutes on the phone to 2 separate, rude, dismissive people and then they cut me off!

Apparently, there was a technical issue according to the journal message the following day!

I then took the time to explain my availability for the following week and a new appointment was booked.

Imagine my frustration when that call also never happened! So, again I sent a message to the agent, didn't get a reply, and chose to call them.

This story is probably not over because I didn't get an explanation and I haven't had a reply from the agent. I've been told an email has been sent and that I should have a response within 3 working days but I am not holding out for a success story.

If I was invited to a meeting, did not turn up and failed to contact them with a valid reason my claim would be sanctioned. If they don't make contact nothing happens.

Not only do they think that my time belongs to them but their call centre stage are rude, dismissive, arrogant, and unhelpful!

I didn't choose to be in my position but I work really hard, I just don't get a great wage and I need some help. Why should I be made to feel like rubbish because they can't do their job properly?

Indian call center where the staff have no idea about what benefits in the UK even are. Why is a government scheme being outsourced to a foreign country?

Ironic really, if it was a call center in England therr would be less unemployed people. Idiots.

UC contact centre in a foreign country, terrible language barriers and can they be trusted with pertsonal details, i think not.

Waited nearly an hour to ask a series a very important and complex questions regarding my claim - only to get through to a south african man who couldnt speak English.

Having same problem as my wage was early with been short febuary months. No point in. Work journal they don't listen, now I've got to go to job centre to speak to them, why not just phone me than trailing there. They stress me out big time

Extremely bad attitude agency staff towards the public. I phoned up university credit tuesday the 25th of February the agency staff I had spoken to was really nice compared to today witch is the 27th of February i felt like when I was on the phone.I was having to repeat myself this like I did the other day explained, i've got information to sent over to universal credit.I need a link sense to manager that is dealing with my that i've gotten until Friday the 28th of February to complete this why am a vulnerable person that suffers with anxiety and i'm panicking, because the deadline is tomorrow to get it done the attitude agency staffed our spoke to today felt like she was making excuses for the manager saying there's no deadline, it says it on my journal.It's got to be completed by the 28th of February just basically lying really have no clue how to do their jobs properly what is the point of having a journal?If you're not going to get back to the saying that they can't send a link one day before what a pack of lies never heard such lame excuses then when I had sets her so then what my money gets stopped because they've cocked up and can't do their jobs doesn't take five minutes to check a journal and get back to the person dons it basically sign it be down to the manager.So if I have money taken away as i've got two vulnerable children, which will be in neglect i am going to be taking further action with the attitudes that they have to especially as two messages were sen go back last wednesday and last friday my journal so the agency staff I spoke to on the 25th of this months was two days ago put it up on my journal. She was to phone me or message me on my journal before 6pm just looking for excuse to take people's money away it's not the public scotland that you can't employ.Decent people is it but I will be putting in a formal complaint and taking it further as it is highly unprofessional you have a journal for a reason.It's not there for nothing, is it?If the person is sending you messages, you should be responding back to them also, the lady I spoke to today, said to me.To put another message up on my journal, i'm not going to do that because i've sent two messages i need to do their jobs and respond back

After getting my migration letter end of Dec 2024, I spoke to citizens advice about the transition and they worked out what I was entitled to. I have major depressive disorder and anxiety, have done for years. This condition keeps me house bound , battling severe suicidal ideation and other nasty symptoms.
Therefore it doesn't take much to trigger my symptoms which send me into a downward spiral. This condition makes me vulnerable.
While speaking to citizens advice about setting up an alternative payment for my rent to be sent straight to my housing association as it has with housing benefits, citizens advice told me to request alternative payment and because of my mh condition uc would converse with housing association to set it up.
I was told during my telephone I.D interview they would also ensure my request went through and said same thing as citizens advice, however since then I have been passed back and fourth by uc expecting me to get my housing association to fill appropriate form, when I found some info on my rent account uc said they needed more, I pointed out housing benefits have all the details and pointing out I'm vulnerable and was informed uc were suppose to set this up with very little stress caused for me because of vulnerability, was told uc and other departments don't converse, and it would be better if I spoke to housing association, while being caused unnecessary stress resulting in making my condition worse I spoke to housing association who were actually pretty annoyed because they told me the same as citizens advice, that uc are supposed to set this up due my vulnerability, housing association only fill in alternative payment if tenant is in arrears which I'm not, however when I started having a breakdown on the phone my housing association said they'd fill in form but suggest I make a complaint against uc.
I informed uc in my journal about the above conversation and for a 3rd time pointed out I have a mh condition, that this specific issue is creating unnecessary stress and if uc continue to cause unnecessary stress and fail to provide the relevant support I'd be making a formal complaint.
It's no wonder why people take their own lives and I don't see any improvements since Labour became government, who in my opinion are just as bad as the tories, demonising people who rely on benefits as if we are all parasites and continually treated with utter contempt.
I do believe what I'm asking ie rent to be paid directly to landlord isn't asking to move a mountain yet that's how it feels, I haven't read my response in journal yet because I simply can not face it.

Absolutely atrocious interrogation of my financial circumstances. I am a full time live-in carer for my elderly mother (I’m 52 and gave up work years ago to care for her) and I’ve been claiming carers allowance (pitiful amount) along side UC (again pitiful). I have been harassed by UC for bank statements covering the last 4 months which I have provided on more than one occasion via uploading via their “portal” - I have provided all the statements for all my accounts. I recently switched my current account to earn £175 switch reward (yes, I’m that poor I needed to do it to get more money) and because my new account hadn’t produced a statement yet, I get asked to evidence THREE DAYS of my banking history!. I then get told finally after weeks of me uploading statements that they have all the info they need…..time to rest you might say? - no, not UC - today got a message that they want to interrogate me over the phone for up to 90 minutes. For gods sake, isn’t my life stressful enough without this shite?

Universal Credit is an absolute disgrace who target the most vulnerable people on low or next no no income and then continue to harass them about their income.

For gods sake, review this entire system as it’s just a means to penalise the poorest and most vulnerable of society.

UC is not fit for purpose. The Decision-Makers are not following UC legislation, their ADM Guide or the proper procedures. They are incompetent idiots and the Case Managers know bugger all too! Taking them to a Tribunal, they have even committed perjury where their Response to the Tribunal contains blatent lies. Have seen MP and will address at a Parliamentary Select Committee and House of Commons. I have also raised a complaint with ICE but won't hesitate in going to the media!

Why do we have to use the Universal Credit account? It's stressful. I'd get a pop up on about logging out, I can't stay logged in, I'd have to keep putting codes in and even when I'd soon check for a code, I'd then go back to the website and the box for the code would be gone. Why not ring to organise convenient appointments; not make ones you haven't agreed to? And why not use email? Why do I have to have a separate account?

Bloody Hopeless!
I had three interviews to attend to but unfortunately had no bus fare, I had asked my work coach if they could help me with bus fare they said I would have to come in to sign some forms for that to happen when I said I don't have any bus fare they said I have to come in to sign the forms and I said with what bus fare they then said that they will reimburse me and when I asked how long that will take they said the same day, then two hours later they said three days because it will cost "too much" money to send it the same day, i was told i will get a day pass today and told them the time of my interview, they took too long to help and responded at almost half 2

Absolutely useless bunch of I can't say what, tried to male a new claim yet I'm talking to people who don't understand me and I don't understand them, I'm from England east London and can't even make a new claim

Disgusting waste of time. Signed off sick due to severe arthritis throughout my body and a long term spinal injury which will never get better, advised by doctors that I shouldn't work anymore , guess what?yup forced back to work by the scum they call decision makers.

if you on old benefit, and don't wont to migrate call universal credit migration line. up ask for an extension, I ask for it until they say no, its been a year now still on old system until the wheels fall of or I get a job or make money some how. bottom line its all about money.

I hope this message finds you well, though I suspect it might be amidst the turmoil we often face with the benefits system. I want to emphasize how crucial it is to strategize when migrating to Universal Credit. If you haven't yet, I urge you to call up and request an extension a week before your migration. Make it a point to follow up every three weeks leading up to your transition—it's essential. Remember, Universal Credit is not designed for your benefit; it often seeks to undermine your stability. Don’t be misled by the so-called advisers at the jobcentre—they don’t hold your best interests at heart. They have the power to impose sanctions, and it’s crucial to approach them cautiously. Protect yourself by providing only what they want to hear; after all, they are not your allies.

For your own defense, I can't stress enough the importance of reading the Universal Credit guidance. Know what they can and can’t do so you can stand your ground. If you face intimidation from advisers, remember to voice your concerns loudly and repeatedly—complain, complain, complain. These individuals often target the vulnerable, thinking they can bully their way through their jobs. Do not let fear dictate your interactions with them; they work for you, funded by taxpayer money. Their authority is a façade; they are not above us. Stand firm and know your worth.