Letting agents gave me deposit certificates for top ups the deposit scheme says were never protected

It appears my letting agent failed to protect all of my deposit. I moved into the flat in 2022 and paid an initial deposit which was protected. I then signed two AST renewals, in 2023 and 2024 with a new agreement each time. Each renewal came with a rent increase and each time I was asked to top up the deposit held in the scheme to the maximum five weeks.

I recently contacted the deposit scheme directly and was made aware that they had no record of the top ups until earlier this year (2026). So my 2023 and 2024 top ups sat unprotected for the last few years.

What makes it odd is that I received deposit certificates and Prescribed Information with both renewals showing the new amounts, yet the scheme was apparently never informed of the increases at the time. It is the Insured scheme so the landlord’s agent holds the actual deposit money while the scheme assures protection in case of a dispute.

How is it possible to be issued certificates and PI reflecting the higher figures while the scheme holds no record of them? And can compensation be claimed for failure to protect the deposit? I’m in England.