paying back a funeral payment

kezz

Does anyone have any experience of this? My partner died in July after of cancer, we only found out in may by which time it had spread throughout his body. He was self employed so had no income for the 3 months he had left to live. I shift work 24 hour shifts but could not leave him to go to work so only had tax credits coming in. This has left me in debt and with a 1600 pound funeral bill.Today I got a letter from DWP saying they will pay 1242 towards the funeral which has to be paid back from any estate. There is about 1500 in my partners bank account some of which is our tax credits and 1000 from an old pension plan which I need to claim. I could have used my partners money for us toive on but didn't want him to realise he was dying so quickly...so didn't ask him his pin number. He was only 50 and we have an 8 year old child. I am 4000 pounds in debt without the funeral cost. They are going to want it out of the bank and pension money aren't they. Just wondered off anyone knows if is have to pay it back in one lump sum or if they would allow slow repayment over a period of time? Thanks

kezz

Just wanted to add that we got high rate dla for the last 2 weeks of his life. It took the social worker 2 months to put the. Lain through and the didn't backdate the claim.

rogerblack

This would be paid back out of the estate, before probate goes through and the money is distributed.
So, yes, it comes out of the money in the bank accounts/...
Is there any question of undue delay from the time the DWP would have got the forms, leading to missing benefit?

kezz

I haven't enquired about the missing benefit. To ne honest everything here is a mess, all the paperwork is all over the place. I've barely got the motivation to wash up. All I know is that he was diagnosed with multiple mets on the 6th may. A social worker came from the palliative team and filled in forms for us. We got dla for under 2 weeks. My partner died in July.

kezz

What I really need to know is if they would take small payments over a long period?

rogerblack

The money comes out of the estate, before you get it.
There are/will be no payments.

kezz

There is no will, no probate, no solicitor. His bank balance will be paid straight into mine. He had nothing else, no savings , no property, no insurance. How will they be able to.take it? I'm not being rude, just don't understand that if it hasn't gone to probate how they would be able to take it? The bank said as it was a small sum it would just be paid to me.

midnight_express

They have first claim on the money ie a legal right to it. If you don't pay it you are in effect committing a crime eg fraud / theft. If you haven't already had the money then don't accept it as you are not entitled if there is money in your partners bank account.

kezz

God, dont you people read the full post. Im didnt say I wasnt going to pay it and have been 100 % honest with the DWP, they have copies of his bank statements. I asked...If anyone knows if the funeral payment can be paid back in installments. Where did I say that I was going to be dishonest?

Twinny99

Kezz I dont know if this will help you or not but my Great-Aunt was in a nursing home for some years and we had a joint account which her pension and tax credits got paid into and the nursing home fees were taken out of. This is literally all she had, no savings or anything and her nursing home fees were mainly paid by the council.

When she died there was a couple of hundred pounds in the account but thats about it. I went to arrange the funeral and rather naively expected the state to pay for it as there was no money, I was even advised by the funeral director that it would be paid for. Anyway, funeral over and I was then told that the state would not be paying for it as I wasn't in receipt of any benefits. It didn't matter that she was totally funded - the fact that I was young and in full time employment meant that I had to pay! Even though she was my Grandmothers sister and we weren't particularly closely related.

Anyway, long story short, the funeral directors were very understanding and I'm repaying the funeral back at £40 per month.

Sorry for rambling - hope this helps
Tracy.

poppasmurf_bewdley

Kezz, this is a complicated case and I think you need serious advice whcih you will not get on here.

Please go and make an appointment at the Citizens Advice Bureau in the first instance and seek their advice.