The scandal of Government premium rate help lines

Valerie Vaz, Labour MP for Walsall South, has quietly been finding out how much the Government makes from premium rate lines.  Each Department has been asked in turn.  The one that is going to stir up a storm (according to today's Daily Telegraph, is dear old Work and Pensions.  Their appalling record is listed in full at Hansard here.

There are 180 premium lines (and no ordinary phone number alternatives), so unless you are a benefits expert you are very likely to have to ring more than one at up to 41p a minute.  150,000 rang the Bereavement Hotline (there are no bereavement benefits) and 4 million rang about the Social Fund, presumably to be told "How can you claim to have no money when you can afford to ring this number?"  Oh how Duncan Smith and the lads must have laughed!

It's the ultimate Tory dream - not only taking money from the poor but turning a profit on them at the same time!

Overall, Government departments receive 130 million premium rate calls a year.  Cable & Wireless, who operate the system, make a cool million per annum from the so-called service.  Have to say they missed a trick, though.  They should have set up a dedicated number for Bedroom Tax inquiries and halved the deficit overnight.