Pension Credit delay

flinko

Anybody got recent experience of applying for PC?


I applied just over a month ago but have heard nothing yet, is that normal?

calcotti

There were recent reports that PC department has long delays at present. Unfortunately I can't give you a definite timetable. I think this may have been caused by rule changes around mixed age couple and increased awareness of PC as a result of the TV licence fee rules changing.

whizzywoo

I applied at the beginning of April this year. It was not until 17 weeks later - the middle of August before I received my award letter.

calcotti

whizzywoo wrote: »

I applied at the beginning of April this year. It was not until 17 weeks later - the middle of August before I received my award letter.

That's shocking. Pension Credit used to break one of the quicker benefits to get processed.

xylophone

Pension Credit used to break one of the quicker benefits to get processed.

That's hard on poor old Quicker Benefit?:)

calcotti

xylophone wrote: »

That's hard on poor old Quicker Benefit?:)

!! Auto correction gremlins - I didn’t spot that!!. I, of course , meant Pension Credit used to be one of the quicker benefits to claim.

poppasmurf_bewdley

calcotti wrote: »

That's shocking. Pension Credit used to break one of the quicker benefits to get processed.

Very true. When I went onto Pension Credit - 2009 - I received my first payment within 10 days of applying.

Robbie64

poppasmurf_bewdley wrote: »

Very true. When I went onto Pension Credit - 2009 - I received my first payment within 10 days of applying.

Pension Credit / The Pension Service used to be the most efficient part of the DWP but it's now one of the worst, if not the worst. When PC was first introduced Gordon Brown ensured that there was enough funding for a large number of staff, visiting officers etc. However since 2010 cutbacks meant that with so many staff in place at PC it was also going to be one of the parts of the DWP that would suffer badly.


Earlier this year my mum reported a change of circumstances to PC but they only actioned it three months later when she phoned for the third time. And as she had been overpaid by almost £40 per week (no longer entitled to the Carers Premium or whatever it is called in PC) it had to be written off as an official error. Had she not phoned goodness knows how long it would have taken for her PC to be corrected.