Application for specified Adult Childcare Credits

I submitted an application early Nov 2023 and is shown as received 20/11/2023 and in progress on my personal tax account app. I submitted one last year and it was processed in about 2months. I have been led to believe this year there is a 40 week lead time! I receive my pension next Dec 2025 and have another application to submit for the 2023/24 tax year which I’m not allowed to submit until Oct this year. At these lead times they won’t be processed by retirement date. What is HMRC doing to address worsening situation and what will happen if these credits are not processed by my retirement date?

Hi, 
We apologise for the 40 week time scale but there is currently a big back log for this type of application.
Timescales can change however.
I want to assure you we always treat a customers within 6 months or over State Pension Age as a priority.
If at any time the credits are awarded after a person reaches State Pension Age, you can get back dated payments of your state pension from the DWP from the date you reached state pension age or from the date we received the application if someone made an application over state pension age.
Thank you.