DWP refunds illegally-stopped benefits – now thousands could make a claim
![Simon Milne won a refund from DWP - three years after their blunder [Image: Manchester Evening News].](https://voxpoliticalonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/160630-Simon-Milne-Manchester-Evening-News.jpg)
Simon Milne won a refund from DWP – three years after their blunder [Image: Manchester Evening News].
How many more were seriously incapacitated by a similar – illegal – loss of benefits?
This deserves deeper investigation.
A man whose benefits were stopped illegally by the Department of Work and Pensions has won a refund – three years later.
The case could trigger a flood of similar claims.
Simon Milne received a letter from the DWP in November saying it had not given him a fair chance to respond to allegations about his work-search record.
The letter said: “A check of our records indicates that we may not have given you formal written notification of this decision. A formal letter would also have given you information about the steps you could take to appeal.”
Simon contacted the Salford Unemployed Resource Centre in Eccles after getting the letter.
Now a judge has ruled he should get a refund for the benefits that were sanctioned illegally in 2012.
SURC has submitted a Freedom of Information request in a bid to find out how many other claimants have been wrongly sanctioned.
Centre manager Alec McFadden said: “Thousands of people across Greater Manchester have been wrongly sanctioned leading to damage to health and even suicides. The first many know about it is having no money leaving them destitute. Most sanctions are illegal and should be challenged.”
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Happens regularly; The standard answer is “Oh you should have received the letter by now”; normally followed by a 1st class letter within 2 days (so they can claim postal delays at fault)!
Even yesterday I paid for a friends shopping, his ESA was supposed to have been paid into his account that day – Nothing!
No money, no letter, no explanation and as the office was closed by then, won’t know what’s going on until today!
He like I fully expect either the “you should have received it by now routine”.
Most times the first you realise somethings wrong is when the housing association write stroppy letters saying you owe several hundred pounds in rent arrears!
They don’t alert you your benefit’s been stopped, nor the council, nor the DWP!
this requires serious investigation.
Everyone who was screwed out of their money should all claim it back, don’t let the DWP off the hook!