DLA award increases but payment starts after the award date

[Winnie Wotsit]

Why does the DWP write to you stating your award has been increased from nth date, but the new payments start from the following Wednesday. Do you lose the days inbetween or can you request they pay those as per the award letter ?

[count orlok]

Benefits are paid in arrears. Works out a bit aqkward when your rent is due at the start of every week, and you do not get the money to pay it untill the end of 4 weeks, meaning you go 5 weeks into arrears!

[Winnie Wotsit]

I've not made myself clear. The DWP letter says you will get x amount from such a date, but the payment starts from the following Wednesday. Even if you got paid in arrears, when the payment does come through, you're not paid for the single days between the date on the letter and the payment date of the Wednesday.

 

Here is an earlier thread that gives a better example : http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?245512-DLA-first-payment-date.

Edited December 19, 2011 by Winnie Wotsit

[count orlok]

Still don't understand what you are getting at, I've always been paid odd days when benefits are changed, such as when I change my Motability car. That said I can't remember back to the start whether I lost a couple of days or not. It used to be that pensions where paid on Mondays, sickness related benefits on Wednesday and the dole on Thursdays. It has changed recently, and I got paid the odd days. My wifes gets her state pension and pension credits on Monday, her DLA on Tuesday, I get my DLA on Wednesday and my ESA on Thursday. I suppose in a way when it went from weekly to fortnightly I lost a weeks money and when it went to four weekly I lost out again. But there's not much one can do about it. My wife had the same problem when she was working went from weekly to monthly and had to make a weeks money last 4 weeks (we never recovered from that). If I was to lose any benefits I presume they would stop straight away, and not carry on for four weeks (although I may be wrong).

[Winnie Wotsit]

Still don't understand what you are getting at

 

Simply put, the DWP dont pay those odd days. You lose them. If your claim was awarded on a Thursday, your payments dont start until the following Wednesday. Meaning you lose 6 days money. If the claim was for HRM and HRC on DLA it would work out at approx £17.80 per day or around £107.

[count orlok]

??????????? I just typed in pages of text in answer but it all disappeared. I can't say I ever noticed not being paid from start of claim. I know I got carers allowance from day one and I'm pretty sure my wifes DLA MRC was also from day she put claim in.

[Winnie Wotsit]

I've now had it confirmed by the DWP, CAB and a brace of other welfare rights agencys that the claimant does lose payments for odd days.

 

I can't say I ever noticed not being paid from start of claim. I know I got carers allowance from day one and I'm pretty sure my wifes DLA MRC was also from day she put claim in.

 

I dont know about CA, IS or any of the other benefits. I know it is the case for DLA.

Edited December 20, 2011 by Winnie Wotsit

[count orlok]

I thought my wife's DLA was backdated to when they received the claim form, I just took their word for it when they said it was. To be honest I did not work out how much she should have got exactly, just that it was about right give or take. It may have been down a day or so, all I know is the 100s we got have been a real help. I don't know how we manage without it and we were so gratefully we did not check like you. I did check the carers allowance, so I know we go that backdated to when entitled (when she was awarded the middle rate care component of DLA). Had it been a few days out though, I probably would have let it go.

[Winnie Wotsit]

I've already fallen foul of this rule before. But that was for a period of two days for MRC. So it was only a few pounds. This time it’s for 6 days at £107. I have just checked a CA award and after working it out, that was also not paid for odd days.

 

If after an appeal, you get a large sum, then most people won’tcheck (that’s the idea the government work on ). But if your DLA changes, then it becomes very obvious when a letter says one thing and the actual payment is 6 days later.

 

Pounds to claimants, millions to the DWP.

 

More concerning is the amount of so called benefit advisors who work for large organisations, who are not even aware of this!

[count orlok]

Just had a thought, I don't actually get CA because I'm on ESA, just that I have an underlying entittlement to it (if thats the correct term). The carers premium on our pension credits was paid in full though.