New report from Ombudsman on complaints about the Department for Work and Pensions
31 March 2009
Press release 09/03
The Parliamentary Ombudsman’s report Putting things right: complaints and learning from DWP, is published today.
“It is not surprising that the largest number of complaints to my Office involve the DWP given the size and nature of its business,” comments Ombudsman, Ann Abraham.
“Many but by no means all of the complaints I received could have been resolved much sooner and by the DWP themselves, if their complaint handling had been more customer focused.”
In one case highlighted in the report a widowed father missed out on £28,000 in bereavement benefit payments over a four year period when Jobcentre Plus and the Child Benefit Office both failed to inform him of his rights to claim the benefit.
A change in the law had given widowers the same entitlement as widows. A failure to publicise this change meant that the widowed father had missed out but he eventually had to complain to the Parliamentary Ombudsman to get redress.
In response to Ombudsman’s investigation by the DWP apologised and paid the father the amount of benefit lost plus over £5,000 in interest.
“It is understandable that mistakes will happen, as they do serve over 20 million customers at any one time. What is important is how the complaints are dealt with,” concludes Ann Abraham.
“I hope that this digest will encourage DWP to continue to engage positively with my Office in seeking new ways to improve the service they provide to citizens.”
Ends
Notes to Editors
- Number of complaints: In 2007-08 the Parliamentary Ombudsman Ann Abraham received 7,341 complaints about government departments and other public bodies, 2,574 of these were related to Department of Works and Pensions (DWP).
- Publication details: Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, Putting things right: complaints and learning from the DWP, HC 367, 31 March 2009.
- Press copies of the report are available from the Communications team,
Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, Millbank Tower, Millbank, London SW1P 4QP, telephone: 0300 061 4996/ 4258, email press@ombudsman.gsi.gov.uk. - From 31 March 2009 you can also find the report on the website here where you can find all publications mentioned in this notice.
- The Ombudsman investigates complaints about government departments and a range of other public bodies in the UK, and the NHS in England. She is independent of the Government, the civil service and the NHS. Her services are free and confidential.
- For more information or copies of the report, please contact Emma Nicol or Kath Butler on 0300 061 4996/3924, or email: press@ombudsman.org.uk
Read the report Putting things right: complaints and learning from DWP
