Guidance

How and when to bring a complaint to the Independent Case Examiner

Updated 21 September 2026

Find out how to ask ICE for help if you have difficulties dealing with us because of a disability or health condition.

Introduction

The Independent Case Examiner (ICE) provides an independent resolution service for complaints about the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). This document explains ICE’s role and remit.

Purpose, Mission and Vision

ICE’s core purposes are:

• to make fair evidence-based decisions for people who bring their complaints to us

• to influence DWP service improvements by providing valuable insight from what we see

Our mission is to investigate complaints thoroughly ensuring rules, guidance, and standards have been applied correctly and fairly, based on evidence from both sides. We explain things clearly, so people understand our decisions.

Our vision is to continue delivering a high-quality complaint handling service which adapts and improves, and which shapes DWP service improvements by helping them learn from complaints.

Our role and remit

ICE is an independent and impartial adjudicator of complaints about DWP working to a quality standard in line with Parliamentary Health Service Ombudsman Principles of Good Administration, Principles of Complaint Handling, and Principles for Remedy.

ICE can only consider complaints from customers of DWP, which includes:

• the Child Maintenance Service

• Jobcentre Plus

• The Pension Service

• Disability Services

• Northern Ireland Department for Communities – benefits, pensions and child maintenance only

• contracted DWP services (for example, those providing work programmes or health assessments)

• Pension Protection Fund

ICE deals only with complaints about maladministration or service failures, this includes:

• failure to follow proper procedures

• excessive delays

• poor customer service

ICE cannot deal with complaints:

• about matters of law, or the consequences of them such as DWP benefit entitlement decisions, which carry review or appeal rights

• about discrimination under Equality Act 2010

• about complaints relying on the European Convention on Human Rights

• about government or departmental policy

• about DWP’s operational decisions such as Jobcentre Plus locations advertising campaigns or claimant pathways

• that are, or have been themselves, subject to legal proceedings

• about how any of the businesses fulfil their role as an employer

• that are or have been subject to review by either the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman or the Northern Ireland Ombudsman

• that fall into the remit of the Information Commissioner’s Office

ICE considers if DWP has provided a fair and consistent application of its published standards, guidance and procedures, considering the factual evidence of the complaint.

ICE can only look at complaints which have first completed DWP’s own internal complaints process.

ICE is a complaint handler member of the Ombudsman Association.

When to contact us

We cannot accept a complaint for investigation which has not been through DWP’s complaint process first.

Please do not contact us until you have received a final response from DWP which signposts you to ICE and confirms you have exhausted its complaint process. We are unable to accept complaints for investigation without a final response confirming this.

Complaints can normally only be considered by ICE if brought to us within 6 months of DWP’s final complaint response.

How to contact us

Your final response from DWP will signpost you to ICE. When you contact us to escalate your complaint you must include a copy of your final DWP response. This will usually be a letter from DWP, but sometimes final responses are provided over the telephone.

If this is the case, we will need to know:

• the date of the phone call

• the name of the agency or business

• the name of the person who spoke to you

• a summary of what they said

We will also require some personal details from you to register a complaint:

• name and address

• National Insurance number

• telephone number

• e-mail address

• details of the complaint – please try to explain it simply and clearly

• preferred method of contact

• whether any adjustments are required to help you use the ICE service, for example, information in large print

The quickest and easiest way to contact ICE is by e-mail contact@ice.gov.uk although you can also write to us at the following address:

The Independent Case Examiner
PO Box 209
Bootle
L20 7WA

Choosing a representative

You can choose a representative to act on your behalf, if you want to. This can be anyone, for example a family member, advocate or solicitor.

You must give us written consent to discuss matters with your chosen representative.

If you have an Appointee that has been agreed with DWP, we will speak to them in the first instance about your complaint.

What happens next

We will let you know if we can accept your complaint

We will contact you within 2 weeks of receiving your complaint to let you know if we can accept it and what happens next. If we can’t, we will explain why and let you know what to do next.

We will triage your complaint

Once accepted for examination, complaints are triaged by ICE investigators.

Some complaints we receive can be handled quickly due to their nature and/or the level of information available to us. Such cases generally require minimal additional evidence to establish the facts of the complaint meaning that it is possible to start an investigation straight away.

Some complaints require more evidence than is available at the point of triage to ensure a thorough examination of the complaint, so we take steps to ensure all the information and evidence needed is sourced before starting an investigation.

We will investigate your complaint

Regardless of the point at which an investigation starts, investigators examine the facts of the complaint and establish whether DWP fairly and consistently applied its published standards or procedures. We consider all the relevant information necessary to reach a conclusion.

We document our investigation in a decision letter once our work is complete. Decision letters are clearly drafted, succinct and easy to read. They include a summary of what has happened from the evidence we have seen, our findings and any recommendations to put things right.

Where we find a complaint has merit, we consider it to be upheld, and we may recommend an apology, corrective actions or a consolatory payment to put things right. Recommendations for redress are considered carefully on a case-by-case basis.

Where we find that DWP handled matters as they should have done, we will reach a not upheld finding, explaining our rationale clearly.

If we see that there has been maladministration but are satisfied that things were put right before a complaint was brought to ICE, we will find the complaint to be justified.

Whatever the outcome of our investigation, we ensure customers understand how to escalate their complaint further if they remain dissatisfied once our work is done.

Whilst we are dealing with your complaint

We may need to pass on information you send to us to the business you have complained about.

If you are still dealing with the business you are complaining about (for example, Universal Credit, Child Maintenance Service), please continue to engage with them while we investigate your complaint. ICE is not involved in the day-to-day, ongoing handling of your claim or case.

If you decide you no longer wish to pursue your complaint with us, (for example, things have now been put right), please let us know so that we can withdraw your complaint.

We cannot investigate your complaint if you take legal action against the business you are complaining about. If you choose to take legal action whilst your case is with ICE, please let us know so we can stop our investigation.

ICE has a zero-tolerance approach to bullying, harassment and discrimination. We are committed to treating you in a fair and polite manner and in return we expect you to treat us in the same way.

Complaints about the service we provide

We aim to provide the highest standards of service. However, if things go wrong, we will acknowledge and apologise for our mistakes. Please read our complaints procedure for more information.