To put you in the picture in 2006 I was granted Incapacity Benefit, but I have an occupational pension so received no money, just NI credits. The DWP then invited me to apply for ESA which was granted, although the situation remained the same, no money, just NI credits, although they did send me a letter telling me how much I would be paid if it wasn’t for my pension.
i have no problem with any of this, but I mention it now because the DWP wrote to me this week. I double checked the date of the letter it is July 2015.
They wrote to tell me that my Incapacity Benefit claim ended on 17January 2012. The amount I had been paid was nil and the amount of tax I had paid was also nil. It also told me it was important that I do not destroy the letter in case I receive a tax return to fill in for 2011/2012.
A few weeks ago I got a letter telling me that I hadn’t received my Christmas bonus on this from 2009 to 2013 and that they would pay it within four days. They didn’t, but as they don’t pay me anyway, I’m guessing I don’t get the bonus either.
Still, this is the government department that when I was granted ESA, no money remember, just NI credits, they informed HMRC that I was in receipt of ESA and HMRC adjusted my tax code accordingly, then they refused to tell HMRC I wasn’t actually in receipt of this, but they provided me with a letter telling me I wasn’t, so I could forward it to HMRC as proof. I never did get an explanation as to why they could tell HMRC I was receiving money when I wasn’t, but that they couldn’t tell them that they had misinformed them.
Like I say, efficient or what?