Impact Assessments
Improved change of circumstances and enquiries process (gender) – August 2007
The objective is to improve the State Pension/Pension Credit change of circumstances and enquiries process as part of Pensions Transformation Programme (PTP).
The Main Activities:
- For changes in circumstance taken over the phone customers will not be required to send in written confirmation.
- Customers will only have to speak to one advisor to make an enquiry or report a change of circumstance.
- Customers and their representatives’ communication needs will be pro-actively captured and retained on the Customer Account Management System where they make contact and we do not already hold this information.
- The relevant data protection statement will be included in the Statement of Details (RM) or form PC14.
- Informal representatives will be able to report changes as long as they answer security questions based on the customer data (unless they are reporting the death of the customer when the change will be taken even if they fail security questions).
- Written confirmation of the change and details of who reported it will be sent to the customer, unless the rep is reporting the death of the customer. In this case the letter will be sent to the caller.
- We will not ask for the customer’s signature on case reviews but simply issue a statement of details.
- Incorporation of notes into the form PC2 (65) which will make the form easier to follow and will be one less leaflet for the customer.
- The ethnicity screen will not be displayed when a customer reports a change if the data, or preference not to say is already held.
- Statement of Details (RM) will be issued for changes of circumstances reported.
Evidence and Consultation
Previous research into customers needs have not resulted in any disparity in the way men and women are treated.
Customer testing has however noted that levels of education and English literacy are poor amongst Indian/Bangladeshi women, and that Bangladeshi women are more likely to turn to a male relative for any interaction with The Pension Service.
Impact
This screening stage of an Impact Assessment has identified that there is no direct or indirect adverse impact upon gender issues and that there is no evidence of any disproportionate effect as a result of these changes. In addition the service to women in the Indian/Bengali community is improved through taking change of circumstances over the telephone and improving the service to customer representatives.
Furthermore all customer surveys break down the gender of the respondent to aid analysis.
Monitoring
The impact of these changes will be monitored through customer survey and mystery shopping and results published through the annual report of The Pension Service.