The DWP has announced that the Video Relay Service (VRS),that was rolled out for universal credit in April 2020, has now been extended to all its service lines.
VRS enables British Sign Language (BSL) users to contact DWP via a BSL interpreter.
The claimant uses a video link accessed through their own computer, smartphone or tablet.
The interpreter will then speak to a DWP agent relaying the conversation by phone.
There is no need for anyone to be in the same location and the claimant does not have to book the service in advance.
This means that the claimant and the DWP agent can have a telephone conversation in real time.
In its Touchbase newsletter update, the DWP says that:
“DWP has extended Video Relay Service (VRS) for British Sign Language users across all service lines.
- Since extending VRS, we’ve seen a 15 per cent increase in customers using this service.
- A total of 12,536 VRS calls have been made to DWP in the last 12 months.
- 25 per cent of VRS calls were made on personal independence payment, 22 per cent on Access to Work, 16 per cent on universal credit, 14 per cent on employment and support allowance with the remaining calls made across other service lines.”
The VRS app and an introductory video are available from https://www.signvideo.co.uk/downloads
See also the disabilityrightsuk.org news stories: