Lost documents 'leading to benefit delays in North'
Lost documents are delaying some benefit payments in the North for up to two months, it was claimed today.
Failure of civil servants to follow up claims for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) as well as misplacing papers to support claims are causing weeks of hold up, the Citizens' Advice Bureau (CAB) added.
One alcoholic and drug addict was sleeping rough in Co Down yet was denied the lifeline help because of the problems, support organisation added.
Citizens Advice information officer Siobhan Harding said: "Some clients have experienced severe financial hardship as a result of delays in getting their ESA payments while other seriously ill people are being found fit for work causing them stress and anxiety."
The ESA was established in October 2008 to replace Incapacity Benefit for new claimants. It aimed to give more help to those who with support might be able to work.
Yet from January to June this year advisors from the CAB dealt with 8,400 ESA issues.
These included delays in getting a medical assessment which left many people on the basic rate of ESA for long periods as well as problems with the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) which left some disabled people found fit for work.
There were particular concerns for those suffering from mental health problems, many of whom were awarded no or few points only to be given the payments after an appeal.
Citizens Advice would like to see the Social Security Agency address the administration problems, ensure communication between staff and claimants is improved, introduce improved recording systems to acknowledge receipt of documents and track progress through internal systems and guarantee accurate and complete knowledge amongst staff advising claimants on ESA.
Ms Harding added: "The introduction of this new benefit has been a huge challenge for the Social Security Agency who administers it, the advice sector and claimants particularly given the current economic climate.
"By definition those applying for ESA are likely to be experiencing difficult circumstances and may be coping with serious health problems and therefore feel the effects of administration problems keenly."
A spokesman for the Department of Social Development said the CAB was overstating the problem with the allowance representing the largest change in social security for a decade.
"ESA was launched at a very challenging time for the Social Security Agency, in the midst of a severe economic downturn.
"Despite these challenges, significant progress has been achieved in the delivery of ESA since it was launched in October 2008," he said.
"The agency seeks to have good relations with the voluntary sector with whom we work in partnership to help the most vulnerable in society.
"We regularly meet with CAB to discuss specific ESA cases to ensure a high standard of service delivery."
He said most customers did not experience delays with the average time to process a claim being 15 days.
The time for customers to receive a medical assessment was almost 14 days, an improvement on before.
