As noted by slashdot:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/11/26/dwp_network_outage/

Thank god the NHS has a 9 year contract with MS:
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/0,39020330,39172449,00.htm

They were going to originally use open source (ie. free) software but at the last minute changed their mind.

No doubt they were taken to some nice lunches by MS who also slashed their normal prices to retain domination.

I wonder what disaster looms in the future for them.

That's human error, not the fault of the upgrade.

Some pillock authorised it's deployment via SMS to all the clients without using a test batch first, bet he's shitting himself tonight.

It is devastation to people new to the department of war and pensions

I am lucky i know my two dss operatives and whilst i had reson to contact them today although putes are still causing props good old pen and paper sufficed with enquiry...

Payment are authourised by same system

Any costs incurred by banks with dss payment; thye will be liable to pay costs incurred.

Phoned my bank manager just incase ....he was sympathetic and will make sure all is safe ...like dd's and so's, and cover such.

I think thats the root of the problem, its just too much data to transfer by text messages