Freephone

People ringing up the government for help with paying fuel bills and for benefit hotlines were having to pay for the calls, because the phone number was an 0845 number. The phone lines have had an income of £268,000 - money which people on low incomes were paying in order to find out about benefits to which they are entitled.

This was highlighted a month ago via a Freedom of Information request, and a couple of days ago the DWP announced that in future calls would be on the free 0800 number.

It would have been even better if the government had spotted this before introducing their phone lines (as per the idea of 'poverty proofing' policies), but at least they've now changed the policy.