MPs say around 130 million calls to Whitehall departments last year were at the top rate, costing callers £56million
Crime victims and the bereaved are being charged premium rates to phone Government helplines, a report reveals today.
MPs say around 130 million calls to Whitehall departments last year were at the top rate, costing callers £56million.
The report said half of the 120 higher cost numbers, including helplines at Victim Support, the Bereavement Service and the Student Loans Company, “serve vulnerable and low-income groups”.
Ministers have been slammed for the “rip off”.
Labour MP Margaret Hodge, who chairs the Public Accounts Committee which compiled the report, said: “Customers of Government services should be able to contact those services easily and cheaply.
"Charging them higher rates by making them use 0845 or other high rate numbers is not acceptable, especially when the customers are often vulnerable people.”
The report said almost two-thirds of the public’s calls to Whitehall departments were to higher rate numbers.
Matthew Sinclair, of The TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “It’s time ministers scrapped these rip-off charges.”
The Government, which said it is taking action on the issue, agreed that it is “inappropriate for vulnerable people to pay high charges for accessing vital public services”.
Calls from landlines to 0845 numbers usually cost between 1p and 11p a minute. From mobiles, it is typically between 14p and 41p per minute. MPs also slated the Government for charging mobile phone users for calls that are free on a landline.
Mirror
MPs say around 130 million calls to Whitehall departments last year were at the top rate, costing callers £56million.
The report said half of the 120 higher cost numbers, including helplines at Victim Support, the Bereavement Service and the Student Loans Company, “serve vulnerable and low-income groups”.
Ministers have been slammed for the “rip off”.
Labour MP Margaret Hodge, who chairs the Public Accounts Committee which compiled the report, said: “Customers of Government services should be able to contact those services easily and cheaply.
"Charging them higher rates by making them use 0845 or other high rate numbers is not acceptable, especially when the customers are often vulnerable people.”
The report said almost two-thirds of the public’s calls to Whitehall departments were to higher rate numbers.
Matthew Sinclair, of The TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “It’s time ministers scrapped these rip-off charges.”
The Government, which said it is taking action on the issue, agreed that it is “inappropriate for vulnerable people to pay high charges for accessing vital public services”.
Calls from landlines to 0845 numbers usually cost between 1p and 11p a minute. From mobiles, it is typically between 14p and 41p per minute. MPs also slated the Government for charging mobile phone users for calls that are free on a landline.
Mirror
