An investigation into DWP’s handling of migration to Employment and Support Allowance

The complaint

1. Ms U complains that when the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) migrated her to Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) in 2012, it failed to pay her the income-related component for the period 23 May 2012 to 11 August 2017. DWP has now paid Ms U arrears of £19,832.55 but she complains it has failed to compensate her for the impact of these failings.

2. Ms U says this caused her extreme financial hardship in that period and she missed out on passported benefits. These are benefits, such as a Warm Home discount, that some people are entitled to because of their entitlement to other specific benefits or tax credits. She says that severely exacerbated her mental and physical health problems (Ms U suffers from paranoid schizophrenia, arthritis, hypertension, and Graves’ disease). She seeks compensation for the hardship DWP’s actions caused her.