This is my first post on this absolutely necessary site, although I've used it for reference for some time. Thanks, everyone.
The Department of Work & Pensions (DWP)  in North Wales  - & quite possibly all of Wales - went over to 0845 probably within the last 2 or so years.
Callers who now dial the old geog. Wrexham number for local DWP benefit administrators - 01978 316500 now get a 'JobcentrePlus' office answering the call, who give out an 0845 no. (0845 600 3016) and tell you to re-dial for anything to do with benefits. When the number answers, you first hear a warning re. the possible costs of the call and then there is often a suspiciously standardised number of rings before the call is answered, making me believe that DWP are no only using these numbers but 'milking' them, too.

If anyone has an alternative to 0845 600 3016 for DWP N.Wales please post it. I've not been able to uncover one.

I always make the point that my landline priceplan (and that of many, many other people) allows inclusive geographical calls but not 0845 etc. I do this just to raise awareness of the irony of getting people having to subsist on Government minimum incomes, who have done all they can to organise their domestic affairs in the most cost-conscious ways, having to shell out extra for calls to the very people who should be the most aware of their plight.

Usually a call is only necessary anyway because DWP computers have fouled something up, anyway.

It makes little difference, of course, and even prolongs the call but - as a general point - if employees of all 0845/0870 using organisations keep hearing this from their callers, maybe they will just get fed up enough to report these customer comments at some team meeting and make management aware of the strength of feeling out there. Maybe this is a 'campaign' point for all users of the site, if they are forced to used the non-geog. number to get through to whoever they are calling??!!
There is still a lot of ignorance out there regarding these numbers despite the best efforts of people like Martin Lewis and all those others contributing to this great site.

Remember that between October 2005 and November 2007, DWP earned £1,463,738.45 nationally. See this written Parliamentary answer. It goes on to say that since 14 December 2007 it has changed the agreement so it doesn't receive revenue.

So that's roughly £700,000 per anum that it has increased payments by to its 0845 telephone provider. Some may regard this as the DWP allowing the telco to "profiteer" as it accepted a lower fee previously.

Having negotiated a rate previously for office stationary, would it go back to its supplier and say that it didn't want to pay such a low price and that it would give it an extra £700,000 a year? Of course not.