Child leaving education

hi,

those must be automated messages.

please see

https://youtu.be/p1wFr5mGt5w?si=glpZBFZvd0oCklqA

@bill337 thank you for another useful video. The comments from people underneath all seem to have had the same issue, how are they allowed to get away with blatant lying? And at the expense of non resident parents, I imagine any over payments will be just an ‘ah well’ on their behalf.

Yeah I had this issue too. I sent a request in at approx 18:30-19:00 on 02/09/24 and received a response roughly 07:00 the following morning. Literally 12 hours. How they contacted my ex and got the evidence is beyond me. Their claim was my ex is still claiming child benefit and id have to speak to them.

I just put it in again and they've put it down as a mandatory reconsideration.

I have no idea how this outfit are still operating as it's not fit for purpose.

@rich1 thank you for responding, will try that now through the portal. Hope you don’t mind me asking but did they ask you for any evidence?

@babyb yeah they did say what evidence do I have to support it. Unfortunately my case is complex as my ex has poisoned my child so she won't talk to me, my ex refuses to engage despite several emails being sent asking her the information and unfortunately the name on my case is not my child's birth name and as CMS refused to give me the details due to data protection, there's a possibility I'm paying for a child that isn't even mine 😕

@rich1 im sorry you’re going through that, its a nightmare. 😞 We’re in a similar situation in that after 18 years of weekly contact we were cut off and numbers changed with no reason, years of manipulation finally paid off for ex. we don’t have any evidence either only his plans from when we last saw him. Doesn’t help that we have no faith in CMS to actually do their job or ex to do the right thing. Just have to hope that it’s not for much longer. Tried reporting a change again now so will see what they say, we’ve got nothing to lose by trying.

Me again, any idea how I can get a mandatory reconsideration? I’ve reported twice and got an automated response both times (my mistake for reporting out of working hours I think!).

I’ve tried phoning twice but been on hold for 1 hour and then cut off and then an hour and a half and been cut off. I’ve tried reporting again online during opening hours and mid week in hope that it’ll get noticed but it seems to have gone through exactly the same as the last two so I’m not hopeful. 

@babyb hi. you can email correspondence@dwp.gov.uk and complaintsreviewteam@dwp.gov.uk

you could also get your MP to complain to them.

Just incase it’s of any use to anybody else, managed to get a mandatory reconsideration by reporting again during opening hours and midweek, it seems any reports on Fridays or weekends get the automated response- in my experience.

@rich1 did you have any luck with mandatory reconsideration?

@babyb unfortunately it was as I suspected. My reconsideration was denied. Apparently my ex is claiming child benefit and this is all the CMS require.

I can contest this with a tribunal but as I have explained to CMS I can't contest anything without proof. I can't get proof because the name of my child is not the name on the CMS case. And CMS won't supply me with the name due to data protection 🤷🏻‍♂️.

I have even asked CMS to contact college but they just said it's not their job, as long as child benefit is being paid then they don't really care.

I will mention that we (CMS and I) agree that child benefit can be claimed fraudulently, we also agree that there is no child protective notes on my case therefore there is no reason for me not to know what the name on case is but again it's a vicious circle that only the CMS can break but is refusing to do so.