DWP have lost all my details. What to do?
Discussion
Hello all,
I've logged in under another username for obvious reasons...
I'll try and keep this has short and sweet as possible...
I've been off work since early 2011 due to ill health. At first I refused to claim any sort of ESA for moral reasons (yes, stupid I know), but by the end of 2011, I was still ill and had to put a claim in. I was claiming ESA for a year, up until Sept. 2012, where I'd reached the maximum number of days where I could claim contribution based ESA.
At this stage, I was asked to complete and submit further forms to carry on claiming ESA. I completed and returned the forms and required information within their deadline and I thought all was well.
I hadn't heard anything for a good few weeks, so gave them a ring (mid December 2012). Apparently they hadn't received my bank statements and a tenancy agreement. Fair enough, but odd I thought, as I had sent the forms and the documents in the same envelope.
Anyway, I resubmitted the tenancy agreement along with my bank details the same week as the telephone call.
Fast forward to today. Again, I hadn't heard anything since, so I gave them a ring. I spoke to jobcentreplus first and they confirmed that they had received the tenancy agreement and all was well. But they were unsure why nothing else had been done, so they requested that the benefits dept. gave me a ring later today.
Two hours later, I get a call from the benefits department, who confirmed that they had received all the relevant documents (it said so on their computer), however, they have lost the "hard" file with all my documents, including my bank statements/details, my NI number, all my health questionnaires etc. Fantastic, my confidential details are no longer confidential!
I was utterly speechless on the phone when they told me this. How can a public service be so incompetent? If I had
done this in my previous job, I'd have been shown the door!
In the meantime, they have told me I've got to start from scratch and resubmit the forms and documents.
What can I do? Are they allowed to do this? Is there any point in complaining? I've not received any money since Sept 2012, will they back date it?
I'm really struggling, as you can imagine and it's another kick in the head while I'm down...
Sorry for such an unhappy post.
Any advice would be gratefully received.
I've logged in under another username for obvious reasons...
I'll try and keep this has short and sweet as possible...
I've been off work since early 2011 due to ill health. At first I refused to claim any sort of ESA for moral reasons (yes, stupid I know), but by the end of 2011, I was still ill and had to put a claim in. I was claiming ESA for a year, up until Sept. 2012, where I'd reached the maximum number of days where I could claim contribution based ESA.
At this stage, I was asked to complete and submit further forms to carry on claiming ESA. I completed and returned the forms and required information within their deadline and I thought all was well.
I hadn't heard anything for a good few weeks, so gave them a ring (mid December 2012). Apparently they hadn't received my bank statements and a tenancy agreement. Fair enough, but odd I thought, as I had sent the forms and the documents in the same envelope.
Anyway, I resubmitted the tenancy agreement along with my bank details the same week as the telephone call.
Fast forward to today. Again, I hadn't heard anything since, so I gave them a ring. I spoke to jobcentreplus first and they confirmed that they had received the tenancy agreement and all was well. But they were unsure why nothing else had been done, so they requested that the benefits dept. gave me a ring later today.
Two hours later, I get a call from the benefits department, who confirmed that they had received all the relevant documents (it said so on their computer), however, they have lost the "hard" file with all my documents, including my bank statements/details, my NI number, all my health questionnaires etc. Fantastic, my confidential details are no longer confidential!
I was utterly speechless on the phone when they told me this. How can a public service be so incompetent? If I had
done this in my previous job, I'd have been shown the door!
In the meantime, they have told me I've got to start from scratch and resubmit the forms and documents.
What can I do? Are they allowed to do this? Is there any point in complaining? I've not received any money since Sept 2012, will they back date it?
I'm really struggling, as you can imagine and it's another kick in the head while I'm down...
Sorry for such an unhappy post.
Any advice would be gratefully received.
Edited by Wantmylifeback on Friday 25th January 15:50
Couple of things that might help.
1) The file is lost in a morass of ridiculous paperwork, not dropped on the desk of the Sun News Editor. Your details are almost certainly still confidential - at least as far as they can be.
2) Be polite - I know it's the last thing on your mind, but they are on the back foot, and expecting sweary Mr Angry. Mr Reasonable will surprise them, and make them want to wort it out faster.
1) The file is lost in a morass of ridiculous paperwork, not dropped on the desk of the Sun News Editor. Your details are almost certainly still confidential - at least as far as they can be.
2) Be polite - I know it's the last thing on your mind, but they are on the back foot, and expecting sweary Mr Angry. Mr Reasonable will surprise them, and make them want to wort it out faster.
^^^^ This.
It is the nature of any bureaucratic organisation, whether public sector or private, to make mistakes of this kind. This is frustrating, but getting cross about it achieves nothing. Your claim should indeed be backdated. In due course, you may also be able to claim a modest amount of compensation for the inconvenience, delay, and loss of your file. As well as a complaint directly to the DWP, you could possibly complain to the Information Commissioner for mishandling of data, and to the Ombudsman for maladministration, but for the moment concentrate on the main claim and, as noted above, try to remain calm.
It is the nature of any bureaucratic organisation, whether public sector or private, to make mistakes of this kind. This is frustrating, but getting cross about it achieves nothing. Your claim should indeed be backdated. In due course, you may also be able to claim a modest amount of compensation for the inconvenience, delay, and loss of your file. As well as a complaint directly to the DWP, you could possibly complain to the Information Commissioner for mishandling of data, and to the Ombudsman for maladministration, but for the moment concentrate on the main claim and, as noted above, try to remain calm.
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