Free mobile calls for benefit claimants

People needing to use their mobile phones to claim benefits and pensions will no longer be penalised by paying for the call cost.

Currently, calls to claim benefits are free from BT landlines and mobiles using 0800 numbers, but are not free from other mobile phone providers.

The Department of Work and Pensions has today announced a deal struck with 02, Orange, Tesco Mobile, T-Mobile, Virgin Mobile and Vodafone, to stop charging customers for 70 of its 0800 numbers.

Around 12 per cent of UK households only have access to mobile phones and do not have a land land line.

Customers of O2, Orange, Tesco Mobile and Vodafone will receive free mobile phone calls to these numbers from 18 January and those with T-Mobile and Virgin Mobile from 25 January.

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Yvette Cooper, said: “We don’t want people who lose their jobs or the poorest pensioners to be penalised when they need to claim benefits just because they call from a mobile phone. Lots of people need to use mobiles rather than landlines.”