Except where the Department directs in any case or class of case that a claim must be made in writing, a claim for an employment and support allowance may be made by telephone call to the telephone number specified by the Department.

Where the Department, in any particular case, directs that the person making the claim approves a written statement of the person’s circumstances provided for the purpose by the Department, a telephone claim is not a valid claim unless the person complies with the direction.

A claim made by telephone in accordance with paragraph (1) is properly completed if the Department is provided during that call with all the information required to determine the claim and the claim is defective if not so completed.

Where a telephone claim is defective, the Department must advise the person making it of the defect and of the effect on the date of claim of the provisions of regulation 13.

If the person corrects the defect so that the claim then satisfies the requirements of paragraph (3) and does so within one month, or such longer period as the Department considers reasonable, of the date the Department first drew attention to the defect, the Department must treat the claim as if it had been properly made in the first instance.