Has anyone, anyone!! Managed to get through to universal credits

[Bringringbring12]

I completely appreciate overwhelmed so this is NOT slating the service nor the government.

I am just wondering if anyone has had any joy because yesterday on hold in total for 5 hours over 3 calls. Today shaping up to be the same.

Any particularly good time?

Thanks

We've just applied. DH got through within a few tries. Took about 15 mins. That was about an hour ago.

Thank you!

For booking first appointment? What was agreed? A date or postpone?

They are exceptionally busy at the moment. Just keep trying.

9.45 tomorrow first app. call.
Then something on friday 3rd april

Have you done the prove your identity bit ok? That took DH about an hour and a half and a lot of stomping about retrieving documents and swearing

I didn't bother phoning. I left a note in my journal on Tuesday and got booked up with a telephone appt tomorrow morning almost straight away.

Yes I have done that Id check

Will continue trying. It’s a full time job in itself. The background music.....!

@EightNineTen

In see what section and what did you say?

under

I've got a question about proving identity. When I registered for self assessment I had to do it then, so I was already identified when I applied for UC. Why are those trying to do it now not the same?

There's a section called journal, I clicked on it, ticked the appointment option, then left a message saying I was self employed and wanted to claim the £94 a week UC. Not long later I got an appt.

I did it all online last night. I was in a queue for about an hour before I could start the process. They telephoned me this morning and organised an appointment for 8 April. That's fine for me as I am very fortunate in that I have savings to keep me going for a while.

But I applied online. All well in that front

And then it says I need to book an appointment and gives a telephone number

So you’re saying you were able to arrange online without calling?

So to be clear
I applied online - all fine
I did the id check on line - all fine

Now saying I need to call to arrange first app. No option for doing online

Hi

I did it all online (finished about 1.00am) then got the msg saying I had to call to arrange an appointment. But they rang me this morning about 9.30, said they were calling people to make it easier.

Leave a note on your journal and they will respond.

We applied, I left a note on the journal yesterdsh about appointments saying do we need to arrange an appointment applying for first time due to being self employed. There was a reply this morning saying someone will call. Then she called when he wa s in the supermarket so he said he needed to soak to me. I then left another comment on the journal that we were wating to hear the update from the government regarding the 80 percent for self employed and would be in touch after we decided what route to go down.

DH is asking if you are definitely trying the right number OP:
0800 328 5644

He says he had no background music and got through ok. Maybe he was just lucky.

@EightNineTen re your question about why he's not already registered; DH has been self employed (and using an accountant annually) for about 20 years. I guess this identity poof thing is relatively new?

I made 89 calls on Tuesday, finally got through on the 90th - was on hold for an hour and then got cut off.

Was so pissed off I put a note in the journal asking for someone to call me back and a work coach (?) replied to say they'd call me back the next day; which she did, first thing in the morning.

If you have no luck I'd recommend attempting the journal avenue.

Take care

If you click under the heading that says 'journal' it'll give you the option to add a message.

Explain that you can't get through and need to book a first appointment,
I said that I'm SE, have lost all work due to CV and need help in the meantime.
Got a call back the following morning and she said not to worry about face to face appointments.

I got an advance within the hour also.

I’ve done that 4x but no call back

That’s the number I have been calling
That was over an hour on hold listening to background music

We got through today after 3 hours on hold.
Took me about 15 hours to do the verify bit, I started off at number 143 thousand and something.
We’ve got their next appointment on Monday 6th.

Just letting you know that we got our 9.45 call ok. DH on phone now.