To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department has taken to reduce the cost to callers of a telephone call to its helplines; and if he will provide freephones in Jobcentres for clients to call such helplines.

DWP's telephony numbering policy is that:

Calls to claim benefit should be free, so we should use 0800 numbers.

Calls for other reasons, which take less time to resolve, should be charged at a standard rate, so we should use 0845 numbers.

We currently offer to call back customers who request a call back, so that we can absorb the cost of the call.

We are constantly evaluating whether our numbering approach and technology best serves our customers. The telecommunications market is ever changing and increasingly complex and we are keen that our numbering policy is sustainable and continues to meet the needs of our customers. To ensure we maintain a consistently up-to-date view of the situation we are working with Ofcom, our telephony suppliers and with other telephony service providers.

While we encourage customers to access self-service and telephone channels from their own home, for Jobcentre Plus customers, free to use Customer Access Phones with direct dial to our Helplines are available for those who do not have access to a telephone at home. People assessed to be in a vulnerable position due to their personal circumstances, for example customers who are homeless, can also make use of the Customer Access Phones.

In addition, Jobcentre Plus offices have touch screen Jobpoint terminals installed for customers to use to access the same full range of vacancies available through the Jobseeker Direct helpline.