I’ve been waiting for DWP to pay me my carer’s benefit for SEVEN months – SALLY FIXES IT

I care for my husband who has multiple sclerosis and early onset dementia. He is only 59 and his condition is deteriorating. I work part-time in a shop, mainly to relax, but the money is also useful. From 1 January my hours were reduced from 15 to 10 per week, which meant I was entitled to Carer’s Benefit. On 1 February I applied to the Department for Work and Pensions to be granted it backdated to 1 January. I have not received a penny or any correspondence. Please help.

Sir, West Sussex.

Sally Hamilton responds: I am so sorry to read about your husband’s health problems. You have enough to support him without having to go to the Department of Work and Employment (DWP).

Carer’s Benefit is available at a rate of £81.90 per week to a person who cares for a disabled person for at least 35 hours a week and who receives at least one of a list of benefits, such as the daily living component of the Independent Personal Payment or Attendance Allowance. Carers only receive it if their income is £151 or less per week after tax.

In one of the calls he made to officials, he was told that they had his application, but that it had been passed on to an office that dealt with claims that had been waiting for more than nine weeks. He was stunned, as by then it had already been 26 weeks. He had asked his local MP for help, but received no response.

You came to me because you were worried about money. You had to call work because you didn’t feel safe leaving your husband home alone anymore.

Finances will be tight until January 2025, when you can claim your state pension. At that point, you will no longer be entitled to carer’s benefit, but you may still be entitled to what is called an “underlying” entitlement to carer’s benefit if you receive pension credit.

A premium of £45.60 per week is payable in addition to pension credit if you would otherwise receive carer’s allowance but are a pensioner.

You expressed your anger not only at the delays that have left you out of pocket by more than £2,000, but also at the poor communication over the months.

You asked whether the delay was because you had previously claimed carer’s allowance and had been overpaid for a short period after returning to work in 2023. However, you quickly repaid it and the DWP confirmed that you owed nothing further.

I asked the DWP what the usual waiting time for claims is, but I have not received a reply.

However, Mobilise, an information website for caregivers, suggests the normal period is three to six weeks, although it has received reports of delays of up to 15 weeks.

It seems your claim has got stuck somewhere along the way. I asked the DWP to get on with things so you could receive this vital financial lifeline. This got things moving and within a few days your claim was settled, including arrears totalling £2,165 from February to August.

No explanation was given for the blockage. A DWP spokesman said: “We have apologised to SR for the delays she experienced with her claim. Her payment has now been reinstated and the arrears have been paid.”

I am 75 years old and have been reading the Daily Mail for over 50 years. I need your help. Sadly my husband passed away on 12th June. He was very ill as his liver was failing and he had lost weight.

About a month before he died, he decided that sitting in a chair would help him feel better. He asked our children to contact HSL Furniture Store and a salesman came to the house. He brought a selection of chairs to try and buy two for my husband, saying he would get a discount if he bought two.

I tried to dissuade my husband, but he paid the full sum of £5,400. They were delivered a couple of days later, by which time my husband’s health had deteriorated and he could no longer use them.

None of the chairs were used so they are in perfect condition, but when I asked HSL to return them for a refund, they refused. I sent an email and a letter to the CEO but received no response.

LP, Bromley.

Sally Hamilton responds: We found it harsh that a refund was denied under such tragic circumstances, especially since the chairs were never used.

And it seems incredible that such items would be sold to someone so ill. But a seller could not be expected to know how ill he was. Under consumer protection law, HSL was entitled to refuse a refund request, as her late husband had seen the chairs in person and had them adjusted to his shape and then ordered them of his own free will.

It is more difficult to return items for a refund purchased this way, unless they are faulty.

Since the chairs were not in use, I felt inclined to step in and ask for special consideration, so I contacted HSL.

It is a large family business specialising in adjustable and reclining chairs, very popular with those with mobility issues.

HSL’s customer service manager was quick to respond. She said she was saddened to hear of her husband’s death, but insisted that it is not uncommon for deaths to occur shortly after a purchase due to the demographics of their customers, making it untenable to allow returns in all such cases.

She said that returned furniture usually goes to charity and is not resold. However, she was understanding and said that since customer satisfaction is the most important thing for the company, she would take the chairs back on this occasion.

When I met you last week you told me you were hugely relieved that the items had now been collected and the £5,400 refunded.

Straight to the point

The cruise I had booked was cancelled, so we booked another one that left a day later. I asked Travel Performance if my flight upgrade could be transferred to the departure location. The airline told me to upgrade to business class, but when I arrived, the airline didn’t know about that. I was sitting in economy class and I want a refund.

VF, Hampshire.

Travel Performance will refund £489.

I have been sent a recall letter for a Russell Hobbs stove I purchased from Currys in 2021. I do not want it repaired and would prefer a refund but this has not been offered to me. Every time I call Russell Hobbs the line goes dead and I feel like this is a problem with Currys but it keeps directing me to Russell Hobbs.

Florida, Birmingham.

Currys and Russell Hobbs say customers should follow the advice of the Office of Product Safety and Standards and arrange a free inspection. Currys has now resolved the issue.

I ordered a pair of trainers for £90 for a race but I haven’t received them. The courier says they’ve lost the package so I need to contact the manufacturer for a refund. I’ve emailed, called and messaged to no avail.

Air conditioning, London.

The retailer apologises and says it had an oversupply of orders, which caused delays in responding to customers. The courier also apologises. The retailer has refunded the amount and provided a voucher.

I moved house and wanted to take my BT broadband with me. I got it sorted and waited all day but the BT technician never came. I was later told that they couldn’t provide a service to me in my new home. BT told me to try Virgin. I did and they connected me quickly. But then BT took £406 from my bank account for terminating my contract early, which is not the case. I have tried to speak to people at BT but they have put me off with excuses.

SD, Wigan.

BT has refunded early termination fees.