Deaf Claimants (Hansard, 28 October 1992)

§ Mr. Scott

The provision of service in local benefit offices for deaf and hard of hearing customers is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member and a copy will be placed in the Library.

Letter from M. Bichard to Mr. Keith Bradley, dated 27 October 1992: As Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency, it is my responsibility to answer questions about relevant operational matters. I am therefore replying to the points raised in your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security concerning guidance in respect of provision of appropriate communication support/technical devices to assist deaf and hard of hearing claimants attending local benefit offices. The Agency is committed to an equal opportunities policy. For our customers with disabilities, this means that wherever possible we will ensure that their dealings with us should not be limited by reason of their disabilities. Training packages on customer care take account of awareness of the needs of disabled people. We have set up an effective liaison with the Royal National Institute for the Deaf, and we are looking at a number of their services with a view to publicising them through our network of District Information Officers and Customer Service Managers in local benefit offices. For example, we hope staff will be able to make use of the RNID's Deaf Awareness Courses. We are compiling a database of customer service initiatives, and this will be made available to all local offices. For example, some offices have sent staff on training courses to learn sign language. In one office nine members of staff have completed a 20 week course (two hours a week), and refresher meetings have been arranged. The scheme has been so successful that a further seven volunteers have come forward. The office has informed all local welfare groups and advice centres about the initiative. In another office, two volunteers have attended a local school for the deaf, while some offices have run their own training sessions about sign language. The Manchester South District, which falls within your constituency, has made particular progress in this area; all the receptionists have attended night school classes in signing. Other initiatives are being taken forward at a local level to improve service to people who are deaf or hard of hearing. For example, many offices—including those in the Manchester South District—have installed induction loop systems. This provides a link between the interviewer and the customer, and eliminates background noise. Most hearing aids can easily be switched over to the loop. The Agency subscribes to the Sympathetic Hearing Scheme, and information packs have been distributed to all 752W offices. Some offices have an electronic visual display unit which, sited in the reception area, has proved useful for getting messages over to the hard of hearing. Others use a portable terminal with a display screen and a memory facility for creating and storing messages. We have issued a video for the deaf and hard of hearing giving information about benefits. We are also interested in the Minicom system, although this is only available at present in a small number of offices, together with our freephone Benefit Enquiry Line service for disabled customers. The RNID advocate Super-tel, an advanced Minicom system. As a long term aim, we would like to be able to offer this facility at local offices, although clearly resources are a factor. Research is currently under way into the service and information needs of disabled customers. The findings and recommendations will be fed into our overall equal opportunities strategy. As the Agency's Customer Charter makes clear, we are committed to providing a service which is accessible for all our customers. We recognise that disabled people may have particular needs and we will continue to look for ways to make our service easier to use. I hope you find this reply helpful. A copy of this reply will appear in the Official Report. Copies are also being placed in the Library.