CCM7530 - Discrepancy Enquiries: Working and Closing the Discrepancy Enquiry – Claimant(s) does not respond to your letter

If you do not receive a response to your letter by the date specified, you should amend the award based on the revised figure of income details you have. Before taking this action you should always check to see whether the information has in fact been received in your office, but has not yet found its way to you. You should also consider whether there may be any circumstances preventing the claimant(s) replying (e.g. a known pattern of recurring illness; the likelihood that they may be temporarily absent abroad on holiday or visiting relatives). If you consider there may be a problem, you should allow extra time for a response, contacting the claimant(s) by phone if appropriate to remind them of the need to deal with your queries.

You may allow further time of up to two weeks or, exceptionally and with the approval of your manager, up to four weeks. You should make a note on TCW of your reasons for allowing extra time.

Closing the Discrepancy Enquiry - No response

You should conclude your enquiry based on the information held on the appropriate system (CESA, COP). You must write to the claimant(s) using the appropriate closing letter, see link below, close the enquiry on TCW and amend the award details on the NTC system (see NTC Manual for system guidance), this will result in the system issuing a S19 decision notice against which the claimant has a right of appeal. If the claim was made by a couple, you must send a closure letter to each claimant.

TCC12 – Closure letter – No response but award revised based on income details held, see CCM21347