Hi, I'm Th02msn! Would my friend qualify for SDP?

2

Comments

  • Th02msn
    Th02msn Online Community Member Posts: 38 Connected
    Understood now.

    My apologies.  It’s difficult to get your head around - especially mine 😆 
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    No need to apologise. Benefits are difficult to understand.
  • Th02msn
    Th02msn Online Community Member Posts: 38 Connected
    edited November 2023
    Update…..

    Called DWP and got through after 1hr 20 wait 🤦🏻‍♂️ 

    Nice guy on phone - was informed he is on income related ESA and he filled out a form for him to apply for the SDP.

    From what I can gather, he ticks all the required boxes.  Should have a determination by 2-4 weeks.

    As far as back payment, the DWP guy couldn't comment.  That will be decided by a different team.

    Thanks for help this far all.
  • Th02msn
    Th02msn Online Community Member Posts: 38 Connected
    Wee update.  Letter received from DWP today and SDP has been granted.

    Will they back date it automatically or will we need to give them a friendly reminder?

    When he was granted ADP in March this year - it was backdated to August 2022.

    Im assuming this date would be used for the back dating of his SDP?

    Thanks.

    😊
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    It should automatically be backdated. He will receive money owed as a separate payment.
  • Th02msn
    Th02msn Online Community Member Posts: 38 Connected
    Ok.  On other threads i read that back payments are paid first.  However only the £76.40 was added for now.

    Thanks for reply Poppy.
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    That's not always the case with SDP, especially if it's quite a while they have to look back at and for this it's more than a year. It's an easy claim to award but more complicate to backdate so takes longer.
  • Hannah_Alumni
    Hannah_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 7,866 Championing
    @Th02msn I'm so glad it has been granted! :) 
  • Th02msn
    Th02msn Online Community Member Posts: 38 Connected
    Hi everyone…. Me again…. 

    So as your aware SDP was granted but no mention of backdating.

    We called the DWP on Wed 6th December to ask and we were told we would receive a call within 24-48 hours.  The call never materialised so we called again on Friday afternoon and we were told to expect a call on Monday 11th.  Lone behold Monday came and went with no call.

    Called them again and the lady was from a call centre but could only read out any notes from the account.  She explained that a ‘mandatory consideration’ had been sent to home address.

    Found this a little strange as we were not even sure if the back dated claim had been looked into in first place.

    They’re just such a confusing lot to make anything of.

    Can anyone shed any light on what may be going on?

    Really can’t understand why the SDP wasnt back dated to August 2022 same as the ADP.  It’s all on their system.  Do they just try and challenge payments as much as possible hoping people will give up?

    Thanks
  • Th02msn
    Th02msn Online Community Member Posts: 38 Connected
    Edit - does a ‘mandatory consideration’ mean they have already denied the claim for back payment?
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    A Mandatory Reconsideration (MR) is when you ask them to look at a decision again to reconsider. How they've managed to send the MR out if it hasn't been requested i have no idea. Sounds like to me that the person from the call centre could have been making it up, which isn't the first time it's happened.
  • Th02msn
    Th02msn Online Community Member Posts: 38 Connected
    Yes very very strange! We've not had any decisions let alone knowing if they have looked into our request! 

    The lady from call centre has requested yet another call back to us.  

    They would drive you crazy that bunch!

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    If you don't receive a call by Tuesday of next week i would contact your local MP. Tell them exactly what's happened and then they should contact ESA on your friends behalf. https://www.parliament.uk/get-involved/contact-an-mp-or-lord/contact-your-mp/

  • Th02msn
    Th02msn Online Community Member Posts: 38 Connected
    Hi 

    Wee update and request for some help again…

    Called DWP again to see what was happening as had received mandatory reconsideration form in post (although never given a decision for the back payment claim)

    The lady on phone informed me that we need to complete the form and state on it why we didn’t claim for SDP earlier?!

    This took me by surprise a little….

    The genuine reason we didn't apply for it earlier was because we didn't know that it existed - let alone be entitled to it!  It was only by good fortune I stumbled across this site and some helpful individuals that I became aware that he may be entitled to SDP.

    My question is , how do I word this best on the mandatory reconsideration form?  Im sure just saying ‘unaware of entitlement’ would not cut it?!

    We also have to make a justification on why it should be back dated to when ADP was awarded (ADP was back dated automatically to date of application) I would have thought that SDP would have been automatically back dated too but no - the ownus is on the applicant to justify the claim.

    If anyone can help me with some ‘buzz words’ or jargon to help with on the MR form that would help me greatly.

    My gosh, you have fairly got to fight your case with this bunch!


  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    The majority of the time SDP can automatically be paid from the date you became entitled to it. It just sounds like ESA are being unreasonable! 

    Just put the truth and you didn’t know it existed or that you were entitled to it. It’s not automatically paid and many people do not know it even exists. If it was automated paid it would be different. 

    They really do frustrate me when things like this happen. I hope it’s sorted soon. 


  • Th02msn
    Th02msn Online Community Member Posts: 38 Connected
    Thanks Poppy.

    Your help has been great throughout.

    What gets me is you never get the same story twice!

    Will do our best with the MR form.  Its all we can do - nothing to hide.

    Will keep you updated.

    :)
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    You’re welcome. It’s wrong that they have refused to back date it. Many people have been owed money from this so many times! It’s frustrating!
  • Th02msn
    Th02msn Online Community Member Posts: 38 Connected
    Not sure that they have refused as such.  

    Apparently it is their policy that the applicant has to justify their claim.

    Thats what i said to the DWP on phone - mandatory reconsideration would suggest a decision has been reached already and we are disputing it.  However this is not the case - we are still in the application stage.

    Sometime I think id get more sense calling the zoo….and asking for the monkey department….
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    In all the years I’ve been advising I’ve never seen or heard of such “policy” for SDP. 
  • Th02msn
    Th02msn Online Community Member Posts: 38 Connected
    I think I was just given some of their usual ‘waffle’ to be honest.

    The last 2 calls to DWP I've been assured of a call back within 3 days.  It never happened.

    The woman on call
    today advised me that I should not have been told that as there is such a backlog of SDP applications, they are not prioritising call backs.

    The left hand doesn’t know what the right’s doing…

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