Thousands of elderly Brits could be in line for compensation and an apology from the Government after a blunder in communicating changes to the benefits system, which led some to miss out on vital support. The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) has uncovered that a significant number of seniors may be owed money by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) regarding their State Pension.
It’s important to highlight that this investigation by the Ombudsman is distinct from the WASPI issue that affected approximately 3.5 million women born in the 1950s, but thousands of older Brits could still be affected by this communication issue.
The PHSO found that the DWP took eight years to notify a British expat about a change in his State Pension that meant he would lose £3,000 annually. Consequently, the PHSO is now urging the Government to ensure that communications with the public are “always fair, clear, and consistent.”
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Adrian Furnival, 82, who moved to Brittany with his wife Sheila, 67, in 1994, only discovered in 2018 that he would no longer receive Adult Dependency Increase (ADI) payments from 2020—a benefit given when the main earner reached State Pension age but their partner had not—resulting in a shortfall of over £250 a month.
Thousands of Brits claiming an income-boosting benefit were not properly informed of changes to the system, an ombudsman has warned
While UK residents were informed about the ADI payment changes in 2010, the PHSO concluded that the DWP failed to properly communicate these changes to Adrian and should have done so in April 2010, reports the Daily Record.
The Ombudsman slammed the DWP for not responding “failed to respond to his initial queries and complaints in a timely way” and suggested that Adrian should get an apology from the Department along with “£675 for the injustice he suffered”. The PHSO revealed: “The number of those who were living abroad and entitled to ADI is unknown but in May 2019, a year before ADI ended, DWP told Parliament that 10,817 people were still in receipt of ADI.”
They also recommended that the DWP should extend a “comparable remedy to anyone who approaches the Department in a similar situation”.
Rebecca Hilsenrath, Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, remarked: “Poor communication from Government departments damages trust in public services.
“DWP has a history of failing to communicate pension policy changes clearly and failing to learn from its mistakes. In Adrian’s case, this meant that, without the right information, he lost the opportunity to prepare for his retirement. It also caused him unnecessary financial worry.”
She advised: “Anyone who believes they have had a similar experience to Adrian should contact DWP. DWP has complied with our recommendations and will provide a comparable remedy to anyone who approaches them with a similar situation.”
ADI claimants, some of whom have missed out on hundreds in support, could be due compensation from the DWP
Full details on how to contact the Pension Service can be found on GOV.UK here.
Previously in December, the DWP acknowledged PHSO’s findings of maladministration regarding the communication of State Pension age changes to women born in the 1950s and issued an apology.
However, the Department did not fully accept the PHSO recommendations and will not establish a compensation scheme for the affected women. They stated they would learn from this experience and collaborate with the Ombudsman to develop an action plan ensuring future changes are effectively communicated.
You can read Adrian’s story on the PHSO website here.