No decision from Pension Credit

AnnieP6

We get Pension Credit and wrote to them with a change of circumstances in April. Despite several telephone calls and letters, we have had no response. Our benefit, according to their own calculator, should have increased by almost £2 per week. I know this will eventually be backdated but it is now 19 weeks since we should have had the increase. Our last telephone call on 13 July seemed to get a sympathetic response but still no decision. 

How can we make a complaint or get a response?

calcotti

If you wish to complain see https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions/about/complaints-procedure

A lot of benefits processing is taking longer, often much longer, than usual due to backlogs built up over the last eighteen months.

Robbie64

I reported in writing a change of circumstances to the DWP in early May, it took until a fortnight ago until a decision was made upon it. This was despite three phone calls by myself chasing it up. This was for ESA but delays are affecting all of the DWP departments.

All I can suggest is you phone them again but so long as they acknowledge having received the letter you may just have to wait longer. A complaint (either in writing - a paradox given the wait! - or verbally) may speed things up.

calcotti

Robbie64 said: A complaint (either in writing - a paradox given the wait! - or verbally) may speed things up.

Except that I think complaints are getting lowest priority of all.
As it says on the page I linked to earlier

DWP is taking steps to make sure we can continue to deliver essential services, while protecting the wellbeing of our staff and our customers. 
Our priority is to make sure customers continue to receive their payments and to process new benefit claims. 
Unfortunately, this may affect the delivery of some other services. This includes responding to complaints, which may take us longer than usual. In these exceptional circumstances, we ask anyone who has already submitted a complaint to be patient and we will respond to you as soon as we can.