Backdated benefit
It may be possible to backdate your claim but this
varies depending if you are a working age or an elderly
customer.
An Elderly customer is someone who has, or their partner has,
attained the qualifying age for Pension Credit. A
Working Age Customer is someone who has not attained this
qualifying age.
Working Age Customer
A working age customer may request that their claim
is backdated for up to a maximum of 26 weeks from the date of
request. Backdating of Benefit for a working age customer is
not automatic and good cause must be proven. When proving
good cause, evidence of a customers reasons for the delay in
claiming will be required and the good cause must be for the whole
period that backdating is being requested for. If the council
decides that there are no valid reasons for claiming to apply
sooner, your claim will not be backdated. However, you will
be able to appeal if you disagree with the decision. Please
see our section on Appeals.
Please note, any backdate period is from the date of request and
not the date of the original claim and in normal circumstances any
Benefit can only be awarded from a Monday date.
Elderly Customer
An Elderly Customer is entitled to have their claim
backdated to either 3 months from the date of claim, or to the date
they attained the qualifying age for pension credits, whichever is
the most recent. In most circumstances, this will be
automatic but please contact the Customer Service Centre on
(01527) 881288 if you think that you
should be entitled to the backdate but have not been awarded
it. In some circumstances, additional information and
evidence will be needed before awarding Benefit for
the backdate period and the Benefits Section shall write
to you or telephone you to request this.
Please note, Benefit can only normally be awarded from a
Monday date.
