Private pension overpayment

SweetTooth

I have seen many reports that you don’t have to repay dwp overpayments after death but my Mum has been contacted by a relatives private pension provider to say there was a payment of over £200 made after the relatives death.
bearing in mind the relation died a year ago they have taken a while to get in touch. All bank accounts are closed for the deceased so is she legally required to pay the money back?

Keep_pedalling

Yes, debts only become statute bared after 6 years (5 in Scotland)

Dave_5150

SweetTooth said:

I have seen many reports that you don’t have to repay dwp overpayments after death 

I was certainly expected to repay DWP for my fathers pension overpayment 

RnK136

Dave_5150 said:

SweetTooth said:

I have seen many reports that you don’t have to repay dwp overpayments after death 

I was certainly expected to repay DWP for my fathers pension overpayment 

So was I after Mum died...

SevenOfNine

I think someone once said that on here ages ago, for state pension paid after DWP had been advised of the death. They did put a link in, but the only one I could find was this old one 
 https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/pensions/article-6830067/Bereaved-people-NOT-return-state-pension-wrongly-paid-deceased.html

Personally, if the private pension company can show a post death payment went through, & executor/estate admin can see it on a bank statement, I'd give some thought to whether they might get a bit unpleasant about it.

Savvy_Sue

SevenOfNine said:

Personally, if the private pension company can show a post death payment went through, & executor/estate admin can see it on a bank statement, I'd give some thought to whether they might get a bit unpleasant about it.

Private pension companies certainly can be unpleasant about it! One sibling notified the company of their spouse's death. Almost by return of post was a letter stating that as a monthly payment had been made the day after the death, this needed to be repaid, and until it was repaid then the lump sum due to the surviving spouse would NOT be paid, nor would the ongoing pension entitlement. 

It was an appallingly unsympathetic letter. Fortunately my sibling was in a position to make the repayment immediately and without hardship, but not everyone would be able to do that. 

GSS20

DWP will ask for overpayment of pension but will only send out one letter. They do not have legal powers to claim it back unless the deceased was already paying back an overpayment of benefit whilst alive or they investigate and find out a benefit wasn’t entitled to in the first place.