ESA backpay/underpayment — Scope | Disability forum
If we become concerned about you or anyone else while using one of our services, we will act in line with our safeguarding policy and procedures. This may involve sharing this information with relevant authorities to ensure we comply with our policies and legal obligations.

Find out how to let us know if you're concerned about another member's safety.
Please read our updated community house rules and community guidelines.

ESA backpay/underpayment

Mrpixel
Mrpixel Community member Posts: 3 Listener
hello there people, I hope you are all well.

I received a letter on the 9th of this month informing me I had been underpayed for the majority of last year, I knew this since being assessed last year but was to anxious to companies and didn't want to get my money stopped by speaking out.
anyway the letter says I'm entitled to 2.3 thousand pounds worth of Backpay. But they are holding it until they can check if I've had any overpayments. They will send it out as quickly as possible and explain why it's taken so long, if I havnt heard anything in 5 days then call them.

so I waited 5 days and rang ESA, I spoke to a lady who said it had been sent over to debt management days ago and she can't understand what's taking so long, advises me to wait 3days and call back.
fustrated but trying to stay patient I wait the three days,
no payment in my account.
i ring again after three days and am immediately told the exact same thing, so I request the debt managment number to speak with them personally 
i ring them and speak to a nice lady who tells me they havnt had it sent to there department, and even if they did they would decline it as i don't owe any money for overpayments.
she tells me to ring back the main line and tell them what she has told me.
i do this, and totally confused the advisor leaves a note for someone to ring me and sort this mess out.
someone eventually contacts me and says all I can do is send it back to debt management. I inform her I've spoken to debt management and repeat the conversation but she takes no notice and says she's sending it there anyway and puts the phone down.
its been multiple days after that and I still don't have my payment.

what do I do? I feel powerless and feel like they don't know themselves what has happened. Everyone's I try calling them I get put through to someone who doesn't have the power/authority to send a payment or deal with the Issue. I'm constantly getting passed to other people who pass me to other people. It's upsetting and fustrating me getting thrown about because no one can deal with the problem so they pass it to someone else who also cannot deal with it.
how can I get out of this loop and speak to someone with enough power to deal with the situation?
thank you to anyone who reads this, best regards

Comments

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,352 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi,

    Ring and request a call back from a case manager. Or contact your local MP and explain what's happening. They maybe able to help you by contacting them on your behalf, this usually gets things moving, it did for me a few years ago.


    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • Mrpixel
    Mrpixel Community member Posts: 3 Listener
    Thank you for your reply. I spoke to debt management yesterday who sent an email to the benefit office asking them to send my enquiry through, they still havnt recieved it today.
    I took your advice and spoke to a case manager, he has sent a email/note to the benefit office basically summing up everything that's gone off and how I've been thrown from department to department. He stated I owe no money out debt wise, and that debt recovery should of been contacted 2 times by now but has not been dealt with.
    he has noted I had chased the debt management team myself and that they have had tried contacting the office on my behalf. So they should contact me within 3 days. 
    To give them due credit they said that Friday and rang me in the same day so hopefully I'll hear something today.

    what is incredibly frustrating is that the case manager could even see on his system I have no debt, so who ever is in charge of my payment can see there's no need to send it to any debt department but have chose to ignore this.

    ill keep this post updated as news comes through, I really do feel for anyone going the same process as this and I urge you to ring every day and check yourself with whatever department your claim/money is with. That is of course if they say they've sent it somewhere and they clearly havnt.

    if I knew where and who was dealing with my case id be fine with waiting, I understand these things take time, but not having a clue where it's gone is simply un-acceptable. 

  • Chloe_Scope
    Chloe_Scope Posts: 10,586 Disability Gamechanger
    Thank you for sharing this @Mrpixel, I can empathise with your situation and it must be so annoying to be passed around! I hope speaking to the case manager helped it will be resolved soon. Please do keep us updated with the progress and welcome to the community!
    Scope

  • Mrpixel
    Mrpixel Community member Posts: 3 Listener
    An advisor called me back today and informed me it had been sent to debt management and finally sent back to the benefit office, so there clear to send it out.
    hopefully it will be sent today,
    is backpay/arreas paid as a three day payment?
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,352 Disability Gamechanger
    Great news. It can take 3-5 working days to receive it in your bank once it's sent.
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • Chloe_Scope
    Chloe_Scope Posts: 10,586 Disability Gamechanger
    This is great news @Mrpixel! So glad you managed to get it sorted in the end!
    Scope

Brightness

Complete our feedback form and tell us how we can make the community better.

Do you need advice on your energy costs?


Scope’s Disability Energy Support service is open to any disabled household in England or Wales in which one or more disabled people live. You can get free advice from an expert adviser on managing energy debt, switching tariffs, contacting your supplier and more. Find out more information by visiting our
Disability Energy Support webpage.