I've had problems with new claims for CTC and WTC not being backdated for the three months i was expecting clients to be awarded. Am i doing something wrong?

Sometimes they seem to be 'forgetting' to do the backdate. I've had to phone up the advisors line and remind them, then it has gone to the relevant department and backdated money finally incorporated into the award.

We've been told that, as the forms are scanned in, they only recognise characters actually written in the boxes. Therefore, the scanning machine always misses the backdate request. Appearently, the only way to get round it is to write a separate letter cos they have to get a boring old human being to read it.

We are also finding that any backdating is being added to the whole life time of the award (ie increasing weekly/monthly amount) causing havoc with HB payments.

Look on the bright side, at least the advisers' line will talk to you!