Jobseekers benefit- backdating to when you apply?

My mother applied for jobseekers benefit in February this year.
After hearing nothing for weeks, she finally went into the social welfare office the week before last, explained she'd been waiting almost 3 months and when was she to expect her payments to begin.
They checked her on the computer and told her that her application had "accidentally been closed" and that a mistake had obviously been made. The lady she spoke to said she had now rectified the mistake and that she would be able to start collecting her money the post office the following week and that her social welfare card would be posted out to her.

However, because her account has been "closed" (by mistake, by a member of their staff for some reason) she told her she won't get it backdated from when she applied in February. Is this right? Can they do this? She was really depending on this money and it doesn't seem fair that they are withholding back payment because of their clerical error.

Thank you for any advice on what I can do.

Claims are closed automatically if the person does not attend to signing or fails to produce required documents. The SW office will nto contact them if they don't sign or call as they haven't the time or resources to chase up such lapses. Did your mother not sign or contact the office since February?

Welfarite said:

Claims are closed automatically if the person does not attend to signing or fails to produce required documents. The SW office will nto contact them if they don't sign or call as they haven't the time or resources to chase up such lapses. Did your mother not sign or contact the office since February?

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No, she had heard the waiting times for claims were about three months so waited about that long before going back in. She's not the sort to "chase people up" if you get me. Although she didn't have any more documents to give- as far as the lady in the welfare office she spoke to said, it was actually a mistake that they closed it. Damn, I knew she should have badgered them to see what was happening but as I said, she's just not that type.

Was she given a signing day when she made the claim? If she didn't sign on the office would presume she was not persuing claim. This 'mistake' bit is confusing. What exactly was the 'mistake'? On what basis was claim closed? If it's cut and dried that it was a 'mistake' on their part, then SW will backdate clain. But because they didn't, it makes me there is more to it. You'll need to find out exactly why the claim was closed.

Thanks, I'll check it out. Cheers.