Browse Sections

• Education
• Special reports

Job Centre sex line shock

Chris Jones
31/ 7/2008

A MIDDLETON job seeker made the wrong type of connection while he was looking for work after getting through to an adult chat line.

David Jordan was shocked to be put through to a premium rate chat line after using one of the free phones at Middleton Job Centre to dial the benefits enquiry line.

The 31-year-old Glenwood Drive resident pressed for an external line, followed by one of the speed dial buttons on the phone that was listed to go through to benefit enquires.

But rather than getting to his intended recipient, the certified IT support technician was flabbergasted to hear a husky man's voice at the other end of the line.

"There was this man at the other end of the line saying things like ‘I can imagine undressing you’," said David. "I was shocked as I'd pressed for an external line, followed by the option for benefits enquires.

"But it was obviously not the right number at all. This is a free phone line for their customers to use to make enquires about various claims about job applications and it's going through to a premium rate line that members of the public are paying for."

The phones at the centre are programmed with certain numbers on speed dial to allow job seekers to contact various employment and benefit lines free of charge from the centre.

David says he first made the mistake of selecting a number for an external line before the speed dial number four weeks ago after starting his job search after completing a two-year college course in IT support.

At the time he raised the issue with staff, but he says four weeks later the problem has still not been sorted out.

"I showed them what I had done and they said I was doing it wrong as I should only be pressing the speed dial option," added David. "But it's very common to have to press for an external line so it's an easy mistake for anyone to make."

A spokesperson for the Department for Work and Pensions admitted it was a known fault.

He said: "‘Warm phones’, with pre-programmed internal numbers, are provided for the convenience of our customers in order for them to conduct other aspects of their business with Jobcentre Plus.

"Customers using these phones are reminded that there is no need to obtain an outside line before dialling a pre-programmed number. This incorrect sequence of numbers can apparently sometimes lead to the situation to which you refer, and is a known fault currently being investigated by BT."