Complaints about your benefits claim - Who do I complain to?

You should make your complaint to the office that caused the problem. This could be the department that dealt with your claim or it could be a different place where you made an enquiry and got advice. It could be one of the following:

• Your local council for Housing  Benefit (England, Wales, Scotland).
• The Northern Ireland Housing Executive and the Rates Collection Agency for Housing Benefit (Northern Ireland).
• HM Revenue and Customs for Tax Credits, Child Benefit or Guardian’s Allowance
• The relevant DWP department for Pension Credit, State Pension, Universal Credit, Jobseekers Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support, and other benefits paid by the DWP.
• Social Security Scotland for complaints about Scottish benefits (for example Adult Disability Payment, Child Disability payment, Scottish Child Payment).
• Department for Communities for complains about benefits in Northern Ireland.

You may be able to complain informally by talking to a manager at the relevant local office, or just to a member of staff. Make sure you take a note of the name of the person you speak to.

If this does not sort out the problem, you may need to put the complaint in writing. Make sure you keep a copy before sending your complaint.

Most organisations have their own internal complaints procedure that should be available on request. There will usually be a customer service manager or equivalent who acts as a point of contact for complaints. There will then be further formal stages for dealing with the complaint.