Hampshire County Council phone lines shut for months
A number of services have been closed since 25 March.
Hampshire County Council has come under fire as it is revealed that most of its phone lines have been shut for more than six months.
A number of the lines have been closed since 25 March 2020.
It comes as the council said its telephone services require "a physical presence in a council office, with call-centre technology".
But the authority said that staff have to work in a socially-distanced way and this has reduced the capacity of the council’s call centres.
Civic chiefs said phone lines that take urgent calls have remained open and the others are set to be reopened in October.
The council stressed that online forms are available instead.
But the news sparked criticisms and concerns as opposition bosses said not every resident has access to online services.
Phone lines for general enquiries, libraries, blue badge and concessionary travel, countryside, roads and transport, recycling, waste and planning are those that have been shut over the past six months.
The school admissions phone line was reopened in August while phone lines for adult health and care, children’s services and registrations have remained open throughout the pandemic, the council said.
But Cllr Keith House, leader of the opposition at the county council, criticised the authority and said district councils were able to have their call centres "up and running" over a weekend in March.
Cllr Keith House said "several residents" complained:
"It is beyond belief that after six months the main county phone line is still closed as are access to a whole raft of services. This is a significant issue. The county council is there to provide support to all residents, not just those with decent internet facilities. For services such as getting a new Blue Badge for parking, this can limit where residents are able to shop or access other public services such as their GP or hospital."
The county council said a new technology platform, allowing staff to answer calls away from the office, will "shortly" enable the phone lines to be switched back on.
Leader of the council Cllr Keith Mans said:
"I realise that many people still prefer to use a telephone to reach public services, and that for a small few, it is the only means of communication. I am therefore pleased we were able to maintain critical phone services during the pandemic, and look forward to resuming our other phone services very soon.To be clear, our telephone contact centre does not directly deliver services, but is one of several routes through which residents can get directed to the services that the county council provides."
Cllr Mans added that the Hantshelp4Vulnerable helpline for isolated and vulnerable residents has been launched over the past months. People contacting Hantshelp4Vulnerable via 0333 370 4000 can then be connected with the appropriate support services, including Blue Badge.
The authority confirmed that during this period call centre staff have continued to work remotely responding to enquiries submitted online, processing online applications, as well as working to manage the phone lines that remained open.