It is all double talk. How many times did they tell you that the paperwork you sent in was lost, or that the person you talked to previously no longer works there, and they lost you file.
File your small claims case and see how that goes. After all, you will only have to make one argument, and you will have a clear answer in the mail soon thereafter.
Then you can tell them, “Don’t make me sue you once every 6 months.”