If you use the RPS system regularly, you will no doubt have been experiencing issues over the last few months. The RPS advise that the problems are linked to system changes introduced in March 2019.

The main issue has been with system speed. It’s now 4 months since the changes, and the system is still not back up to normal speed. Because the system is so slow, more employees are phoning to speak to RPS staff. As a result, staff have become busier, making it harder to get through on the phone and causing a longer wait time for responses to emails. And a further knock-on effect is that IPs are incurring time costs in dealing with employees calling to chase claim progress.

The second issue is that the system seems not to be consistently recognising cases where employees have continuous employment. Although the information has been provided, it has not been recognised (a classic case of “Computer says no!”).

IPs have to assume that once they submit correct details for a claim, the claim will be processed correctly.

When we contacted the RPS, they acknowledged there are issues with the system. In a bid to resolve some of these, a further system upgrade took place on the 14th August.

Helpfully, the RPS are also sending a member of their stakeholder team to visit us to see first -hand the problems we are experiencing as users.

Let’s hope normal service is resumed at some point in the near future!