A letter from Terry Moran (CEO) of Disability & Carers Service advises us to pursue a complaint about their handling of a client's DLA case (dont ask!) to the Independent Case Examiner(ICE). ICE have only started taking cases from the DCS recently. Their usual remit (until very recently) has been Child Support Agency complaints. Only certain DCS cases can be routed to ICE (if specfied by DCS). Appears to be a soft intro for them. Usual route, of course, is Parliamentary Ombudsman (MP is only too willing in this case). Has anyone been down the ICE complaints route yet? Any views?

interesting ..... just checking out the ice website ... in what's new section @ http://www.ind-case-exam.org.uk/whatsnew.htm, item dated 3 October 2005 says -

'The Department of Work and Pensions proposes at a future date to extend the service provided by the Independent Case Examiner's Office to a wider range of Agencies / Businesses (Jobcentre Plus; The Pension Service; Disability and Carers Service; The Rent Service; Debt Management; and the Financial Assistance Scheme).
In preparation for this, a proportion of people who have complained about the service they have received are being advised that they can refer their complaints to this Office, if they remain dissatisfied with the final Agency response they have received.'