personal details and my rights

[NobbyNobbs]

i just phoned the DLA helpline to find out when i need to send my renewal form in by and they deamnded i give them my bank details. i refused to do this and they then refused to help me. i asked to speak to the manager who said that i had to give the bank details if i wanted help, or i could write a letter. i said i couldn't write a letter, that was part of my disability so he insisted i give him my bank details. i said i had never been asked this before and i wouldn't give them. he then said the questions were random and i could continue to phone until i didn't get asked my bank details, but refused to ask me another question then.

 

i wont give them my bank details over the phone and explained why - how do i know that 'sy' in the call room isn't writing them down? he didn't answer this. i then asked to make a complaint and he refused to let me, saying he was the manager. i then asked for a letter confirming that he was refusing to speak to me because i would not give him my bank details and he said 'we'll see' and hung up.

 

so now what do i do? i'm not giving bank details over the phone, but i can't write a letter and am loath to spend a fortune on phone calls sitting on hold for 40+minutes each time to be asked the same thing. all i want to know is when i have to send the wretched form in by! (i'd just send it in but i have 2 consultant appointments in the next 3 weeks and if i can include the details from them it will help my case). you heard endless news stories about how you should protect your identity and since i'd already given him my national insurace no, full name and address and DOB, plus details about my jobseekers i dont see how its safe to then go ahead and give him access to my bank account!

 

anyone know how on earth you make a complaint when they wont let you make one

[pearl]

We've always had reminders through the post well before the form is due in. I'm not sure about the bank detail thing - you'd have to put them on the form to be paid, so not sure what the difference is giving them over the phone? It's not PIN number or password or anything, just sort code etc?

[NobbyNobbs]

i know its all on the computer, but at least then theres a record of who has accessed what/when etc and its not some bloke somewhere that i can't see who will only tell me hes called 'sy' with all my personal details who can perfectly easily write them down. also not quite sure why after giving them name, address, post code, date of birth, national insurance, what levels of payment i recieved, that i recieved jobseekers, and what rate for that they felt they weren't sure i was really me! i'm pretty sure if i went into my bank and told them the details they wanted me to give out they wouldn't be too pleased. every piece of literature on identity theft ive ever read says dont give out your bank details over the phone. i've called them lots of times before and they've never asked for it, so alarm bells rang when he asked this time. the managers only response to this was 'we dont always ask it'... so why on earth were they insisting i tell them this time if they dont actually need it to access my information. i offered to answer any other question they wanted, but he just said i'd failed, and that i could keep calling back... so if i really wasn't me then surely i'd just do that and theyre no better off!

 

i had a letter and the forms ages ago, i've lost the letter so called to ask them to comfirm (its somewhen in may) as i didn't want to miss the deadline.

[Tally]

If they are asking you to confirm your bank details, then they must already have them in front of them to compare. It is not risky to give out your bank details to an organisation who already has them. You should be careful about giving them out to a person who has called you, as they may not be who they say they are, but if you have called the DLA people, then you know you are speaking to the right organisation. I don't think your bank would have a problem with this.

 

If you've ever written a cheque, the person who receives it can see your account number, sort code, address of bank, your full name and signature.

[NobbyNobbs]

they never asked for it before, the manager admitted they probably wouldn't ask for it again. i probably overreacted, but i'd never been asked it before and still can't really understand why they need that information on top of everything else they'd asked. and had been hassled by the call person already as he got cross with me at the start saying i was giving my NI details wrong and again when i couldn't tell him the exact amount of jobseekers i get paid (weekly, 2weekly? how was i meant to know). it turned out he'd put in the wrong surname, but had me repeat my NI 4 times before realising.

 

i'll call them back tomorrow and see where that gets me, hopefully if i call early i wont have to be on hold so long. and then use my inability to deal with the phone conversation as evidence on the form. not sure on the fairness of being told i couldn't make a complaint, and being hung up on but nevermind.

[baranigirl]

tax credits often ask me for my details when I call them to make a change, they are part of the same department, I have no issue with this as it is as they say random questions they have to ask to authenticate you on their system

 

Our TC account is 'locked down' so we have to call a different number than usual and its a darn sight quicker to get through, but as I can never remember the other number I end up going through security questions twice with them!

[chris54]

Your banks sort code and your bank account number are public knowledge. As has been said they are printed on the front of every cheque you have ever written.

 

As you were the one that phoned them, I dont see a problem.

[trekster]

i know its all on the computer, but at least then theres a record of who has accessed what/when etc and its not some bloke somewhere that i can't see who will only tell me hes called 'sy' with all my personal details who can perfectly easily write them down. also not quite sure why after giving them name, address, post code, date of birth, national insurance, what levels of payment i recieved, that i recieved jobseekers, and what rate for that they felt they weren't sure i was really me! i'm pretty sure if i went into my bank and told them the details they wanted me to give out they wouldn't be too pleased. every piece of literature on identity theft ive ever read says dont give out your bank details over the phone. i've called them lots of times before and they've never asked for it, so alarm bells rang when he asked this time. the managers only response to this was 'we dont always ask it'... so why on earth were they insisting i tell them this time if they dont actually need it to access my information. i offered to answer any other question they wanted, but he just said i'd failed, and that i could keep calling back... so if i really wasn't me then surely i'd just do that and theyre no better off!

 

i had a letter and the forms ages ago, i've lost the letter so called to ask them to confirm (its somewhere in may) as i didn't want to miss the deadline.

 

if it's sometime in May could you send the forms so they get them on the 1st of May? What date were you originally awarded DLA? it would be due in the same week presumably as you had been awarded? Sorry i cant be much help, my information was so strong they decided it would be an indefinite award (ie i didn't have to fill in renewal forms?)

 

As for giving out your bank details over the phone DLA helpline is one exception to this rule.

[trekster]

they never asked for it before, the manager admitted they probably wouldn't ask for it again. i probably overreacted, but i'd never been asked it before and still can't really understand why they need that information on top of everything else they'd asked. and had been hassled by the call person already as he got cross with me at the start saying i was giving my NI details wrong and again when i couldn't tell him the exact amount of jobseekers i get paid (weekly, 2weekly? how was i meant to know). it turned out he'd put in the wrong surname, but had me repeat my NI 4 times before realising.

 

i'll call them back tomorrow and see where that gets me, hopefully if i call early i wont have to be on hold so long. and then use my inability to deal with the phone conversation as evidence on the form. not sure on the fairness of being told i couldn't make a complaint, and being hung up on but nevermind.

 

You could offer to give the 1st few and the last few digits of your a/c number. That way any phone hackers wouldn't be able to use your details.

Your bank statement would show how often you got your jobseekers payments. Just count the number of days between the last 2 payments. grr on the wrong surname, im unable to memorise my NI number so need a DLA letter to hand in order to give it out.

[trekster]

Your banks sort code and your bank account number are public knowledge. As has been said they are printed on the front of every cheque you have ever written.

 

As you were the one that phoned them, I dont see a problem.

 

The problem is the rule "dont give your bank details out over the phone" and knowing when the exceptions are for this rule.

[NobbyNobbs]

the problem with the deadline is that i'm waiting on 3 consultant appointments and i need to request letters off of each of them. one appointment is thursday so thats not a problem, and i think for the other two i'll ask for the reports and send them in late as extra evidence. that way i can get the form in and at least not have that to worry about. at least the one thursday is the most important (physio) as i need a letter of evidence about the hypermobility and the problems it causes as well as that i have loss of nerve function in one foot. the DWP mecical person came to my house and decided that cos i could walk ok on our kitchen floor (completely flat lino and 8ft long) that meant i didn't have any trouble walking at all.

[trekster]

the problem with the deadline is that i'm waiting on 3 consultant appointments and i need to request letters off of each of them. one appointment is thursday so thats not a problem, and i think for the other two i'll ask for the reports and send them in late as extra evidence. that way i can get the form in and at least not have that to worry about. at least the one thursday is the most important (physio) as i need a letter of evidence about the hypermobility and the problems it causes as well as that i have loss of nerve function in one foot. the DWP mecical person came to my house and decided that cos i could walk ok on our kitchen floor (completely flat lino and 8ft long) that meant i didn't have any trouble walking at all.

 

i didnt get the DWP medical person attitude at all. He's not with you when your trying to negotiate kerbs, hills, steps (which is when i tend to trip).

[baranigirl]

same thing happened with my 'uncle' he tried his hardest to walk up the stairs and they said his DLA had to stop cos he could do it, even though he was completely out of breath at the top and took ages to do it!

[trekster]

same thing happened with my 'uncle' he tried his hardest to walk up the stairs and they said his DLA had to stop cos he could do it, even though he was completely out of breath at the top and took ages to do it!

 

Surely that would qualify as "walking makes your condition worse?"

[baranigirl]

apparently not according to the assessor, so he will lose his mobility car soon as well