How to complain???

mommaduck wrote: Thank you Gordon for your reply.

I am not sure if you were able to read my post before it got lost but I am assuming that you may have done.

I have had no joy writing - no response even though I was told DWP would have to respond within 48 hours after I complained that I had received no response to my first attempt at complaining.

What I have received this morning is a threatening letter from the Pension Service. It states' Information obtained that you did not provide information on time' (what information? - I don't know what they mean)

'We therefore need you to tell us why you did not tell us on time about a change in your circumstances' (what change in circumstances did I not tell them about? - I have always told them about changes in circumstances)

'You must provide information with your claim when asked' ( I always provide information when asked)

'You must confirm your contact details' (how did they manage to write to me? They have all my contact details. I dont have a telephone - I use my daughters)

You have until x to provide the information asked. You must answer the questions (they have not asked for any information. They have not asked any questions) there is a large blank space in the letter.

Unless you do this by x date we will impose a £50 civil penalty on the basis of the information we have now.

Over the past year I have made around 20 calls and each time I call, the contact centre assure me that have all details that they require. They have all paperwork that they have asked for. There is no reason that my claim is outstanding.

This is the second time in two months that after I have phoned to ask why my claim is not complete that I have then received a letter accusing me of not reporting changes in my circumstances.

I was divorced some 18 months ago and informed the DWP and sent them my decree absolute. No one updated the system and despite me have several phone calls about this and sending the paperwork another two times, it took till last December to update this fact.

I then received a further letter accusing me of not telling them I was divorced and consequently my pension would not be backdated ( I was being underpaid) I then provided again, evidence that I had informed them, time after time before they finally back paid my pension until my divorce.

They then sent paperwork to a wrong address ( State Pension, DLA and Pension Credit) when I phoned to ask where my update paperwork was they said that they had sent it out to x address. I said that I did not live there, why would they send it to that address?

Result of that enormous error was that who ever lived at that address then contact the fraud hotline (did they really think it funny) and said that I was claiming DLA fraudulently and that I had over £100,00 in the bank and was also claiming pension credit fraudulently and that I was also using false names. I was then called in for a Compliance Office Interview which lasted about two minutes as the officer had already realised that it was a malicious reporting. I could have lost my DLA as other have apparently have even when the report turned out to be false.

It is twelve months now since the DWP have made error after error with my claim and if I complain by telephone, the staff turn hostile and rude. iIf I complain by letter, I get no reply other than these letter accusing me of not reporting changes of circumstances and threatening me.

As I stated in my lost post, Welfare Rights have hit a brick wall and I am getting nowhere and am totally exhaused and frustrated with it all.

I will try my MP as I have nothing to lose.

Not sure if a solicitor could help?

Hi md,

You have my sympathy !!

Once the DWP have made an error such as this, it can be very difficult to rectify it.

It can be like trying to stop a run away train !!!! .

As a last resort, if you look at the bottom of this rightsnet post :

www.rightsnet.org.uk/forums/viewreply/26142/

There is a link for a PDF giving e-mail contacts for JCP District Managers.

This information is in the public domain as well.

You could e-mail the relevant one for your area, asking that if they cannot deal with it, can they please pass it on to the relevant Complaints Resolution Team.

You have nothing to lose.

Failing that, you have your M.P. :

Contacting your MP

bro58

Hi md,

Just to add, that if you take the options in the link below:

Complaining to The DWP

You are quite within your rights to escalate to the next stage/person if the DWP fail to respond within the required period.

1. Complain to the office against which the complaint lies.

2. Complain to the District Manager.

3. Complain to the Chief Operating Officer (Chief Operating Officer, Department for Work and Pensions, 6th Floor, Caxton House, Tothill Street, London SW1H 9NA.

4. Contact Independent Case Examiner (ICE)

5. Contact Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.

At stages 1-3 the procedure specifies that the DWP should reply within 15 working days.

If no response is given by the 15 day deadline move on to the next stage.

Therefore, you could be up to Stage 4. (ICE) after 45 working days (give or take) if the DWP have not responded.

Sending Documents to the DWP or ATOS

bro58