I have been on hold to the UC phoneline for 25 minutes now.

[colditz]

I have been trying to apply for Universal Credit since 8.10am. They require that I verify my identity. NON of the services they recommend online (experian, post office) have worked. They time out.

So now I am listening to the same 16 bars of Vivaldi on repeat, waiting to ask someone to book me an appointment after 4.30pm to show someone, anyone, my passport.

This is incredibly frustrating.

I think it's deliberately frustrating.

Why is it always bloody Vivaldi? And WHY DON'T THEY EVER LET IT FINISH? They talk over it and then put it back to the beginning

Change it up. DotGov. Lets have some Mozart. Or the Beatles. Or Queen.

I phone a lot for my job - my record on hold is 1h45m
Once I got to 53 minutes and someone answered but then hung up, that was annoying

Because govt go for the cheapest phone contract possible due to having no money (and a massive deficit/debt). It's not the end of the world being on hold, be grateful the welfare state exists. If it was a private company fair enough but taxpayer funded phonelines are probably going to be a bit cheap and crap.

Ugh. It sounds as bad as the tax credits line. I've had many a 30 minute wait listening to their hold music.
Hang in there 🤛

And their opening hours are 8am to 6pm mpnday to friday.

How is this remotely useful for a WORKING AGE AND IN WORK BENEFIT

I can only verify my identity up to 4.30

The last appointments are 4.30

How do they expect people to make this work when the online portals they insist on simply crash or time out and the appointments system is only suitable for pensioners with cars?

Its infuriating. I’ve not dealt with UC but I remember a lot of being on hold to ESA and it was a nightmare. The whole system is designed to put you off, I’m sure of it.

I’ve always wondered who picks the music for on hold, it’s almost always awful. Even worse when it’s crackly and muffled. I think Adele’s ‘Someone Like You’ on repeat was the worst though, how miserable do you want me to be when you finally take my call?!

No politician is going to stand up in parliament and demand we increase taxes to invest in a better 'customer service' for people claiming benefits, the tabloids would go bonkers.

I used to shedule at least 2 hours to call UC

invest in a better 'customer service' for people claiming benefits

Depending on how you define benefits and some people use a very loose definition that includes Child-related ones or pensions - that could be an astonishing % of the population.

I don't know how many people are going to have to apply/transition for UC because they are living on NMW or the (not-so) LMW or ZHC. It probably adds up to a huge number of people who are going to have to be making UC-related phone calls on a tediously-regular basis and it will swallow enormous amounts of time and leave people feeling badly treated. Nobody can think that's a good use of their constituents' time.

Actually I work 30 hours a week. I'm just SO GODDAMNED LOW PAID that I need UC to survive and feed my children

I know I am not alone in this.

Yep, the in work benefits system is really just a benefit to the businesses people work for, allowing them to pay wages too low for people to live on so they have to be topped up by the state. It’s always the right wingers who want more business, smaller state, less welfare, ignoring this fact. Pay people enough to live on and there would be much less need for welfare.

Just loving the suggestion of Queen as hold music. Can you imagine the frustration if they finally answer you just as you're launching into your best air guitar in Bohemian Rhapsody?!

Is it a free phone number? I hope so

I'd recommend some Bonnie Tyler

I remember some years ago being on hold for the job centre. The music was so irritating that you were likely to have a very angry outburst to the unfortunate soul who picked up the phone in the other end. If they had changed the music, then people would probably have been nicer to the staff.

I phoned at 8am recently and waited 25 minutes. The woman who answered was very good though.

So sorry, OP, hold Muzak is the worst.They should have an option to upload your own playlist at the very least, and that soothing voice breaking in every few minutes: "we are experiencing high volumes of calls, all our agents are busy, we do care about your call and the next available agent will be with you shortly" can fuck off too!

Our company's hold music was whatever CD we put into the attached CD player. We thought Rage Against the Machine might amuse.

I did get caught out singing along to Dancing Queen once when the person I was calling picked up their extension

I was once on hold to the Disney store for 93 minutes where they played the same Disney song over. And over. And over ... I can’t watch the aristocats anymore without getting the rage

Lego

At least it wasn't Let It Go!

Mondays and Fridays are always the busiest days. Theres only so many calls that can be answered at one time

These phone lines are not free (unless the scrapped the obscene charges they had previously)

I had to ring a phone operator on Christmas Eve one year to report abusive phonecalls from my ex. Finally got through to someone to burst into a snivelling pile of sobbing mess as I tried to explain what the problem was - only to finish, and lose any remaining shred of credibility, with - AND YOU'VE MADE ME LISTEN TO SLADE FOR THE LAST 30 MINUTES!!! WAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!

Thankfully the guy on the phone was very understanding (and agreed on the Slade thing).