Hi from a long-time lurker. I decided to register following on from a telephone conversation with the Carers Allowance Unit today. I had received CA for some years, but decided to see if I could do a bit more paid work and had CA suspended last May. Things didn’t work out, so I quit the job and went back to caring full-time. I submitted a new claim on 1 March 2019.
As I’ve heard nothing from the CA Unit since then, I’ve tried phoning them several times in the past week and gave up when the hold time passed one hour. Today, after 53 minutes on hold, I got through to someone. I explained my situation and said that it was now more than three months since I put the application in.
The call handler said they had received my application, but hadn’t processed it and that it would take a considerable time to process as their backlog of claims is three years! He said I had to bear in mind that they have staffing issues “around the Europe thing that shall remain nameless”. I said I was running short of money and needed the application processed, but he said there was nothing to be done but wait for a decision.
So much for the stated six-week wait for an application to be processed. How are people supposed to get by without money when the backlog is three years?
In what way is it “utter rubbish”? I made the call and had the conversation as described. I just thought I’d share the information so that people were aware of what the DWP call handlers are saying. If “utter rubbish” is the immediate response, I think I should have kept quiet.
No sorry, you’ve completely misunderstood my comment.
Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES should DWP have a three year delay. This is classed as an “income substitute” benefit. NO ONE should be expected to wait that length of time. Can you imagine the MP’s tolerating a 3 year delay in getting their pay, or anyone else for that matter!
There used to be a delay of 8-10 weeks, which was far too long in itself.
You need to
Complain to the Carers Allowance Unit.
Complain to your MP.
It is unacceptable. We are always on the side of the carer on this forum.
Twenty weeks now, and running up a credit card debt that’s within a few pounds of the outstanding CA. My MP, a Tory, says that if I’m “genuinely facing financial hardship” then I should “get a job”. Most of his response was a weird diatribe about the Scottish National Party, Brexit, and Tories believing in"hard working families" – none of which had any connection to my email asking for help. I’ve not been in touch with him before, have no connection with the SNP (and don’t support them either) and don’t understand how being a carer is not being part of a “hard working family”. I got the impression he believes there should be no benefits system whatsoever!
I’ve tried a local action group, which does work similar to Citizens Advice and have been helpful in the past, but they’re snowed under and I can’t get an appointment for a couple of months.
Meanwhile, my other child is having some sort of mental health crisis and I can’t get the NHS/education system to work together or intervene. No surprises there, as we’ve been there before with the other one due to his conditions.
The system is dire and made even worse when elected representatives don’t see it as part of their job to help their constituents.
in regards to SNP , it is because they were granted powers of some benefits back in 2014. and then like a spoiled little brat cried and cried and cried and cried and cried and cried for said powers.
they were given the powers , and have now delayed taking control of those powers for over 3 yrs , and are infact now paying the DWP over £32 million a year to keep paying out those benefits for them .
then they are to slowly take control of each benefit like a dripping tap, for new applicants ( no mention of those who currently get said benefits )
and even then there own financial group has said the SNP will have to look again at the numbers , as carers benefits alone will take a huge chunk of the scottish budget and is expected to only grow as scotlands population continues to get older and older.
i have asked SNP face to face on the doorstep and in the street how much money should carers get , how about a minimum wage and they openly tell me “” to much money “” what they get now is fine . but they wont say how much we will get when they supposedly take control of carers allowance in 2021
i have asked time and time again , when they supposedly take control in 2021 of carers allowance …
will we get what we currently get from the UK gov , plus what we get from scottish gov.
one woman looked at me and said “” being completely honest with you , i have no idea “” .
an other asked me how much total do you currently get now, i said it is under £6000 if you add UK and scotland payments together . she straight up said “” is that not enough ?“”