How to complain
We can sort out most complaints if you simply tell us about the problem.
If you are unhappy with our service:
- contact the office dealing with your claim
- tell us what you are not happy about.
We will deal with your complaint in the best way for you. For example, if you want us to phone you instead of writing to you, let us know.
We will look into what you say and contact you about it. We aim to answer in one and a half weeks.
Find out more
To find out more:
- If you are unhappy with the service we have provided, go to our complaints page on Directgov
- Visit our local events pages to look at our performance on complaints and compliments
- Visit the DWP complaints and appeals page
What we are doing to make things better for our customers
We take your complaints very seriously and aim to improve our services as a result. Here are some examples of what we are doing to make things better for our customers.
You don’t always talk to other DWP agencies involved in my complaint
We are improving our guidance to make it clear who should take the lead when more than one agency is involved in dealing with a complaint.
The Customer Survey shows that some parts of your service needs to improve
We have set up a customer group which is looking at ways to:
- make it easier for customers to access our services
- make sure we can meet the different needs of our customers
- deliver a service that meets customer priorities
- reduce unnecessary contact for our customers
- improve the way we handle complaints.
You don’t really understand what it is like to be a customer contacting your service
We carry out ‘mystery shopping’ which gives us an objective view of how our staff deal with customers. It looks at things like:
- how easy it is to contact us
- how quickly we answer customer calls
- how we deal with customers
- whether we have to pass the customer on to anyone else
- the accuracy of information.
We meet regularly with front line staff to discuss performance. We also work with centres where performance falls below the national average.
I’m not always satisfied with the way you deal with my complaint
We have set up a new Centre of Excellence to promote better complaint handling and improve our services.
I didn’t know that I had to fill in a form that was sent to me following the death of my mother
The form used to obtain information about next of kin has been changed to make it clearer what details are needed.
I told you about going to live abroad but you did not update your systems properly resulting in overpayments being made
We sent a note to staff reminding them of the procedures to follow if someone moves abroad.
You incorrectly suspended my Disability Living Allowance when I went into hospital
The document detailing the hospital admission had been routinely destroyed. This meant we could not trace where the incorrect information had come from. We updated our existing procedures to make sure that all relevant details are kept for as long as any payments are suspended.
I wasn’t told that my Carer’s Allowance was due to stop because the person being cared for no longer received Disability Living Allowance / Attendance Allowance
We now send a letter to let you know if your Carer’s Allowance is due to stop and explain why.
I’m not always told about how my claim is progressing
We sent instructions to staff detailing what they need to do at each stage of the claim process. This includes the need to keep customers up to date.
I’m not always happy with how and who you contact regarding my care needs
We developed a ‘telephone techniques’ course to improve the way our staff asked sensitive questions.
You sometimes make a decision on a claim even though you have told me that I had until a certain date to send you further information
We make sure that if you have been told you have up until a certain date to send us further information we will honour that. We will contact you just before the target date is reached to up date you on progress.
The music is too loud on your helpline
We turned it down!
