IB underpaid for >12 years - LUMP SUM!

HGLTsuperstar

Thanks to some pointers from posters on here, I rang IB today after doing some research on the age addition payment. The woman on the phone said very sheepishly that I was right and, on the face of it, there appears to be no reason why my Mum has not been getting the lower rate age addition for over 12 years. She said she was emailing it through to the relevant body to verify that they have f%^£$% up (my words not hers!) and it is going to take a while to calculate how much is owed, as obviously the rates change each year, but anyone want to fly a figure as to what to expect? Closest guess wins a mystery prize (OK, that last bit was a lie but play along anyway and thanks again - I wouldn't have looked into it if it hadn't been mentioned on here)

healy

It is nice to hear some good news. Without revealing my calculations I reckon if they pay it all back it will be about £5000.

HGLTsuperstar

I wish you would reveal your calculations because, as lovely as they are, that's over double what I was expecting.

healy

HGLTsuperstar wrote: »

I wish you would reveal your calculations because, as lovely as they are, that's over double what I was expecting.

The lower age addition is £8.90 at the moment but it would have been less than that in previous years so I used a figure of £8 and multiplied by 52 (weeks) and then by 12 (years) and it came out at just under £5000. This is not an accurate figure but I think it will be somewhere around that.

grilli

the lower age addition for benefit year 1995-96 was only 6.20 so without going through all my books i'd guess that 6.20 x 52 x 12 would give a ball park figue to look at of around 4000-4500

HGLTsuperstar

Well they telephoned back this afternoon and "thanked" me for bringing this to their attention - I have to take Mum's birth certificate to the job centre tomorrow so they can verify her DOB and then get their calculator our. I'm guessing grilli's estimate is quite close and its still more than I expected, I assumed the lower rate 12 years ago would have been £1-2.
Surprising how quick and pleasant they're being - think they just want to get this out the way ASAP incase we mention getting back any of the interest that's been lost over the years.
This has been a real eye-opener I must admit; I'm the first to mouth off about families claiming for the 102 kids who don't work and live off the state etc but this is just getting back what my Mum should have been getting for over a decade and with all her health and other worries, there's no way she would have known she was being underpaid. And I'm sure if the DWP had ever noticed they wouldn't have been forthcoming with the facts.

Nigella_2

Do you think they have her wrong DOB on the National Insurance Systems??

STRANGE as (unless a clerical claim) the system should have added the age addition at the start of the claim??

HGLTsuperstar

I don't know - I guess that will come out in the next few days once they see her birth cert but I don't see how as I would have thought that would have been found out sooner and she's filled enough of their pesky forms in over the years.

stazi

In addition to the arrears due, remind JCP that compensation (ie interest), will need also need to be calculated- no doubt done by a specialist team elsewhere.

HGLTsuperstar

I've just spoken to JCP - for once they are being ever so polite (are they running scared?) Anyway they are now trying to "clarify the legal position" - they said they need to see if the age addition payment exsisted when Mum's claim started (which other posts on here indicate that it did) and she did say that they would then see if compensation would be appropriate. Note, I have never said that to them - my first priority is making sure my Mum isn't being rooked then anythign else is open to discussion.
Will keep you all updated and thanks again,
Holly

tobykim

Can I ask a question here I'm on IB and reckon I've been on it for 12 years, on my statement I have the basic rate quoted £84 and additional pension based on earnings (only pennies) and lower down Invalidity Allowance less Additional pension £17, as I'm in my fifties now so consequently in my forties when I first went sick do you think I'm getting the age allowance? I hadn't heard of it till I saw this post