For what it's worth, my experience at the job centre was mixed but generally favourable. Some staff were clearly more experienced than others, but on the whole they were all competent at the day to day tasks they dealt with. Given that it's a low grade low paid job with quite frequent exposure to unruly, angry and even violent members of the public, the service I experienced was acceptable. I certainly would not want their job, and I'm very grateful to those that helped me.

I suspect your case required more expert knowledge. Not every member of the counter staff can be an expert in the less common tasks, and such professionals can be in short supply and high demand.

he had been in hospital for several months and the social worker failed to tell the DSS that he was in hospital paralysed and unable to move. Then the doctor failed to give him an appropriate certificate. It was not stamped so invalid. He could barely move and expected to run around to fix these problems. All it would have taken was a phone call to confirm that the doctor would send a correctly signed certificate and all would be well. But they would not even do that. The whole system is run by idiots. Though there are a few good people. Though when you are surrounded by idiots it must make them despair.