Petition · past parliament · Department for Work and Pensions
Extend backdating for Employment and Support Allowance to cover whole illness
Closed
122 signatures
What the petition asks
At the moment Employment and Support Allowance can only be backdated for three months due to The Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1987 Act. There is no leeway or consideration for illness that rendered the claimant unable to act during that timeframe.
Change the legislation to allow further backdating in the event of inability to speak to the DWP, especially as talking to the DWP is often cited as a highly stressful activity. We believe allowing a greater time for backdating would make it much fairer on the claimant, helping them to recover before needing to go through a potentially very stressful application process.
Timeline
| 21 Dec 2021 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 21 Jun 2022 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
122
Status
Closed
Department
Department for Work and Pensions
Opened
21 Dec 2021
Closed
21 Jun 2022
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.