DWP Chaos

Has anyone else had difficulty disclosing A change of circumstances to the DWP?

In Sept, I disclosed a change of circumstances to Child benefit and Child Tax Credits. I was advised that it could take up to 5 weeks to register the change and felt confident i'd made the declaration and it would be addressed.

Since then I've lost both phone and internet due to a lightening strike.

My first issue was even getting through for an update on the progress of my disclosure. (A recorded message kept saying they were experiencing a high volume of calls and not allowing me to progress any further) My most recent call where I actually got through to a person, cost me £13.69 (Via Mobile phone, 40 minuites waiting on hold) only to be told they had no record of my call in Sept, at which point my credit ran out and the call handler refused to call me back.

Fortunately, I took down the date, time of the call and the name of the original advisor I spoke to, but given that my claim change will now take a further 5 weeks to sort, i'm now facing a 10 week overpayment and a cancellation of another benefit!

Aren't calls meant to be recorded? For me, this is not an isolated incident, Whats going on????

I'm really tired of having to bare the burden of proof for the DWP's chaotic and frankly useless system.

Distraught!!!!!!

Parents
  • DWP is confusing me too. I am just letting them get on with it (or not as the case may be). If they think they will get away with it, they will fob you off and it is not unusual to get false information.

    Go to citizen's advice or your local one stop shop and ask for help in sorting this out. They will make the phone calls and make notes (saving you lots of money). DWP are much less likely to fob them off and the one stop shop will even write the letters for you and send them off. They helped me and if I get more problems I know where to go for help.

    Also note that it can take weeks for DWP to act on new information. As a result I ended up with an overpayment, but they have not asked for it back (yet).

Reply
  • DWP is confusing me too. I am just letting them get on with it (or not as the case may be). If they think they will get away with it, they will fob you off and it is not unusual to get false information.

    Go to citizen's advice or your local one stop shop and ask for help in sorting this out. They will make the phone calls and make notes (saving you lots of money). DWP are much less likely to fob them off and the one stop shop will even write the letters for you and send them off. They helped me and if I get more problems I know where to go for help.

    Also note that it can take weeks for DWP to act on new information. As a result I ended up with an overpayment, but they have not asked for it back (yet).

Children
No Data