Ignore requests from the state trying to claw back pension overpayments after someone has died

MalMonroe

My Dad died several years ago on the very day his pension was paid into his account. When I phoned to return it I was thanked but told that it would not be necessary. The 'tell us once' service was arranged by the registrar when we went to advise of the death, and we didn't receive any more payments. He received his pension weekly though, so the amount wasn't great and we didn't feel guilty because we had permission. We just put the amount towards funeral costs. 

nigelbb

MalMonroe said:

My Dad died several years ago on the very day his pension was paid into his account. When I phoned to return it I was thanked but told that it would not be necessary. The 'tell us once' service was arranged by the registrar when we went to advise of the death, and we didn't receive any more payments. He received his pension weekly though, so the amount wasn't great and we didn't feel guilty because we had permission. We just put the amount towards funeral costs. 

If the pension was paid on the day he died then it was paid while he was still alive so there would have been no question of repaying it.

relishy57

There is a cycle of payments so it all depends on when in the cycle the bereavement happens whether there happens to be an overpayment.
On another note this is a very emotive subject at a difficult time for people and I do find one or two posts a bit judgemental. Grief makes many of us all act and think differently. Please always be kind in your responses. 

Shellyso

Thank you for your comments. As a new member to this forum it was the original post from MSE that prompted me to comment, though I wasn’t asking to be judged and have found many of the responses externally unkind (not yours) prompting me to unsubscribe, though I’ve not managed it yet 😉As I tried to explain in my original post many people may not understand how the continued payments were not picked up sooner by the family member who shared the mothers account, I have no idea either but I’m not about to judge her, as there are many reasons and it’s not for me to judge. Likewise there will be many reasons why NHS pensions continued to make the payments & why Tell Us Once call handler did not ask the set of questions that apparently they were supposed to when I informed them. We’re all human and as you say, good to be kind😘Thank you again.

OldBeanz

I certainly wouldn't hang onto money that wasn't mine. My sons would not benefit from opportunist theft either.
Must be good to have a thousand pounds go into your account and not be aware.
Let's all be kind to one another by paying unto Caesar.

JGB1955

I would be HUGELY uncomfortable from benefitting from any ignoring of repaying benefits that weren't due to my late father.  Although that scenario DIDN'T happen, HMRC seem intent on sending him/his executor a tax refund that's 4 times the expected amount.  Since they haven't sent any 'working-outs', I'll just hang on to it until they change their mind....

Pollycat

JGB1955 said:

I would be HUGELY uncomfortable from benefitting from any ignoring of repaying benefits that weren't due to my late father.  Although that scenario DIDN'T happen, HMRC seem intent on sending him/his executor a tax refund that's 4 times the expected amount.  Since they haven't sent any 'working-outs', I'll just hang on to it until they change their mind....

Why don't you ask them for 'working-outs' so you can be sure you're not benefiting from something that wasn't due to your late Father?

ShrewdLewdDude

My 87 year old father died a little over three years ago. I am his eldest son and he was living with me and my family at the time so I was dealing with his affairs. I was asked to return a State Pension payment which was made into his account only two days after his passing. I assumed therefore that pension payments were made in advance. Having just reached pension age myself I am now surprised to find that pension payments are made in arrears. So, if anything was overpaid it was only two days worth at the most. My father was in poor health during his final years and the cost of caring for him (which my two sisters and myself gladly took on ourselves) was not nearly covered by his state pension. To find out now that I was asked to return money that he/we were entitled to comes as a real shock. When reporting his passing on the phone to DWP I was helped through the whole procedure by a very 'softly spoken and understanding' person from the bereavement team. He said the whole amount of the last payment should be returned. Little did I know at the time that we were being ripped off. It's not the money you understand. It's not a large amount...but right now I am livid at discovering this!

tooldle

I’m of the understanding, state pension could be paid in advance for some claimants. There were a number of changes starting in 2010 which brought payments schedules into line across a range of benefits. So, if the pensioner started their claim prior to 2010, there could be an advance payment element. 

jem16

ShrewdLewdDude said:

Little did I know at the time that we were being ripped off. It's not the money you understand. It's not a large amount...but right now I am livid at discovering this!

You haven’t been ripped off. Both my parents (93 and 96) received their state pension one week in advance.