Contact the Independent Case Examiner

Can anybody remember. About 5-6 years ago somebody posted an advice letter about what to say and request when you contact the Independent Case Examiner?
Could really do with a re-read of that if anyone can remember where it is. Please.

Sadly I can't help. A quick Google brings up lots of info on how at the moment ICE is snowed under with work and lengthy delays in looking at cases.

Found it.

Date

District Manager
DWP Complaints
Post Handling Site B
Wolverhampton
WV99 2GY

Email is best

District Manager Emails:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-partnership-opportunities-with-jobcentre-plus/jobcentre-plus-district-managers-contacts-for-partnership-opportunities



Dear [add name]

Formal Complaint: [subject matter]

I am writing to ask you to investigate my concern(s) in line with your complaints and maladministration policies as follows:

Add some background if applicable

The facts

• What happened?
• Date and details

Examples of evidence to include/attach

• Latest freedom of information request
• Relevant legislation
• Inconvenience and costs
• Injustice and hardship/harm resulting from maladministration
• Breach of the Civil Service Code of Conduct

Resolution examples

• An apology
• A change in process/procedure
• Financial redress
• Change of work coach

In your response please provide details of the relevant internal policy information and/or the legislation you have used. This is a formal Freedom of Information request for a copy of the guidance/legislation you have applied if I have not already supplied it.

I look forward to receiving a written reply within 15 days.

Yours sincerely

Signature

Name
NI no.

Copy to MP ?

https://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/mps/


References

Complaints procedure
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions/about/complaints-procedure

DWP Customer Charter
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/our-customer-charter

Staff & Provider Complaints
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/155225/response/377558/attach/html/4/Guidance%20for%20complaints%20about%20providers.pdf.html

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/155225/response/377558/attach/html/5/Guidance%20for%20complaints%20about%20staff.pdf.html

Special Payment Guide
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/277119/response/674068/attach/html/3/Guide%20for%20special%20payment%20officers.pdf.html

Financial Redress for Maldministration Guide
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/671381/financial-redress-for-maladministration-dwp-staff-guide.pdf

Civil Service Conduct and Guidance
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/civil-service-conduct-and-guidance

Citizens Advice information
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/benefits-introduction/problems-with-benefits-and-tax-credits/complaining-about-the-service-you-ve-received-benefits-and-tax-credits/


Keep to the facts and stay calm. Take advice if you need it.

It is usually worth trying to resolve a dispute informally first.

Does anybody know what happened to the online complaint form for the DWP Independent Case Examiner (ICE)? They look to have removed it and replaced it with nothing.

"DWP Last updated 6 March 2023.
6 March 2023
HTML guidance has been updated, out of date PDF version has been removed."

This only leaves email or posting to a PO box.

Email: ice@dwp.gov.uk How can a DWP email address be independent?

The Independent Case Examiner

PO Box 209

Found this FOI.

"Dear N J Hunt

Thank you for your Freedom of Information request received on 20 July 2015. You asked:

“I would like to know who is the Independent Case Examiner (ICE) - Joanna Wallace’s
team? In all correspondence with any office within the DWP the ICE is refereed to as
''HER' or 'SHE'.”

Our Reply:
Joanna Wallace is currently the Independent Case Examiner (ICE). She is not a Civil Servant
nor is she an employee of the Department for Work and Pensions, but an ‘office holder’ -
appointed on behalf of the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to provide an
Independent Review of Cases. The ICE is supported in her role by a dedicated Office - the
ICE Office.
If you have any queries about this letter please contact me quoting the reference number
above.
Yours sincerely,


DWP Central FoI Team "

What is an ‘office holder’ and who pays them? This sounds like another cronyism job like the work programme providers.

Pretty damning article on ICE:
https://davidhencke.com/2022/09/18/adding-insult-to-injury-how-another-regulator-dumped-on-50swomen-pensions-complaints/

For its handling of 50swomen pension complaints it has provided nothing of the sort. To investigate this I have drawn on the findings of the confidential Parliamentary Ombudsman’s second report into maladministration over the delay in the payment of women’s pensions. There has also been an alleged development that suggests that she has destroyed all the evidence submitted by complainants.

For a start its claim to be independent is questionable. It works under a contract set by the DWP and has to apply DWP rules set by ministers in Parliamentary legislation. It has no independent web address using the dwp one. It is based in Bootle round the corner from Liverpool jobcentre and in the same road as the Health and Safety Executive.

Corrupt from the top down.

Also from:
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/independent-case-examiner/about

Joanna is not a civil servant and is not employed by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) – she provides an independent view on escalated complaints. The Independent Case Examiner’s office recruits staff from DWP, other government departments and externally. The service is funded by DWP.

So her office and staff is funded by the DWP. No conflict of interest there. I guess she just does it for shits n giggles.

Leaf. Dare I ask about the next step? The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO). The name says it all.

Their entire process just seems like a circle-jerk designed to frustrate you into giving up while giving the facade of doing something.

eg. https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/news/dwp-protect-their-own-complaints-against-staff-not-investigated

Even when they release these reports, nothing seems to change. What is the point?

What can you do when the people you're complaining about are the same people in charge of investigating? Maybe it's just better to go outside their system and try to get legal help or (ugh) from the media?

Sell your story to the dailymail that might kick up a fuss or hire your own legal team with the evidence.
The Independent Case Examiner are corrupted they will just ignore your case pointless exercise.

Coconutxone wrote:Sell your story to the dailymail

Remember to practice your compo face