Hello everyone,
I am new to the forum and this is my first post.
Does anyone know how long a new claim for Pension Credit normally takes?
I claimed on the 8th April this year, knowing that I would reach State Pension in May 2019. My husband is younger than me and receives PIP Care and Mobility. I am his Carer and until I started getting my State Pension received the Carer’s Allowance for him.
Now I don’t get the Carer’s Allowance, just an underlying entitlement to it. We are living on my State Pension and his PIP.
I have rung the Pension Credit Helpline several times and they just keep saying that my claim is waiting to be processed and someone will ring me in the next two weeks but nobody ever does.
It’s nearly 4 months since I claimed now and it seems a very long time to wait for a decision.
Does anyone have any idea how long it should take?
Thank you.
WhizzyWoo1954
Contact your MP and ask them to find out why there is such a long delay. A good friend of mine used to work for DWP. Apparently an MP’s letter was dealt with immediately!!!
Thank you bowlingbun.
I will try asking my MP for help.
Success at last! My Pension Credit arrived in my bank overnight, back-dated 3 months to the date I became eligible. Still waiting for the letter from DWP about it though.
I didn’t actually complain to my MP though. I rang the Pension Credit Helpline again one week ago and asked to make a complaint - quoting the DWP Charter about making decisions within a reasonable time and their failure to keep me informed.
The lady I spoke to filled in the complaint form over the phone and read it back to me. So I assume this is why my claim has now been dealt with, or could just be coincidence.
All in all, it has taken DWP 4 months to deal with the claim, as I applied one month before becoming eligible.
This week I was all set to contact my MP about it.
Thanks for he help.
Old thread. Locked. Usual reasons.