Hi, my name is aviostreasurehunter! Carer's Allowance Claim Issues

aviostreasurehunter
aviostreasurehunter Community Member Posts: 4 Listener
in Benefits and income

Hi all,

I applied for CA in mid March 2026. I earn slightly over the threshold but my pension contributions take me well below. I was asked in the email to send my pension statements which I promptly did.

In April 2026 I had a phone call from someone querying my work travel expenses. I anwered his questions and he told me a decision maker would decide in a 'few months'. He confirmed they had not received my pension paperwork yet but not to worry as it would be processed in due course.

After 12 weeks in mid June 2026, I phoned up to ask what was going on. The agent said that he would escalate my claim as it had been over 9 weeks, and he also said the pension paperwork had been received but had been mis-categorised as something else so the decision maker would not see it. He said he would email the 'back office' to get it sorted. He said I should get a decision quickly.

After 16 weeks, yesterday I phoned up to be told my application was dormant and had already been rejected in April 2026. This was due to me earning over the threshold. I was told that I could not ask for a mandatory reconsideration as the 1 month deadline had already passed. I explained I had sent pension paperwork in March and was never written to to be told my claim was rejected but all I got was an apology and a recommendation to re-apply.

If I re-apply, I lose the backclaim for March as we are now in July and it can only be backdated 3 months.

Any advice?

Is this normal? Seems pretty bad.

Thanks for your help.

Comments

  • aviostreasurehunter
    aviostreasurehunter Community Member Posts: 4 Listener

    Sorry I copy and pasted this from when I wrote this last month hence why the dates are a bit off.

  • Rachel_Scope
    Rachel_Scope Posts: 4,383 Online Community Team

    Sorry you've been through that @aviostreasurehunter, that's really poor of them. I wouldn't say this was normal as they would usually let you know the outcome of your claim. Would you consider making a complaint? Here's some information about how to do that https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions/about/complaints-procedure . It states:

    "You can raise a concern or make a complaint if you’re unhappy with the service provided by DWP, for example if: 

    • mistakes have been made 
    • there were unreasonable delays 
    • you feel you’ve been treated poorly 
    • you haven’t been kept informed"

    It seems you could fit into a couple of those categories.

  • aviostreasurehunter
    aviostreasurehunter Community Member Posts: 4 Listener

    Thanks Rachel.

    I have written a formal complaint today and sent it. Also phoned up to register the complaint on phone. I have put in a new claim and asked it be backdated to the date of the original claim. On the phone they said an MR would take about a year and my best bet is just to do the new claim with the complaint. Lets see what happens. I also sent all the pension paperwork again. Sigh.

  • SheffieldMan1976
    SheffieldMan1976 Posts: 3,377 Connected

    It pains me to say this but making a formal complaint even though they messed up would be pointless because they'd do 2 things, chuff all and nowt.

  • aviostreasurehunter
    aviostreasurehunter Community Member Posts: 4 Listener

    Yeah I suspected so. Fortunately now I have since phoned again and they seem to have my pension paperwork scanned properly now. Hopefully it will be processed properly now. Frustrating experience as I did everything requested.

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