Letter about attendance allowance following death 17 October 2022 at 3:43PM edited 17 October 2022 at 4:04PM in Benefits & tax credits 4 replies 618 views

Rorina

My Uncle has just died and I am an Executor of his Estate. His Bank does not require Probate to release the money in his account as it’s under their limit. 

Evidently he received Attendance Allowance which I understand is not means tested. I’ve received a letter enclosing Form DBD234.  This asks me to send them the name, date of birth, address and National Insurance Number of each Executor of the Will and then for the following people it is all of the above PLUS their Bank Account details -  

1.  The Executor who signs the Form
2.  The person who paid for the funeral 
3  The person who is next of kin

I cannot see why the information is relevant. I think it’s intrusive and I’m loathe to give out so much personal information. 

Do I have to comply?  Has anyone any experience of dealing with this?

Flugelhorn

my mother was receiving attendance allowance and there was nothing like this 

Robin9

What odd requirements.

1 Irrelevant
2 No person pays the Funeral - the estate does
3 No such thing in law

lisyloo

I filled out the form and put on it that i would not give bank details unless a repayment was required as it compromised Identity security.

so send the relevant details but don’t give them anything you don’t want to.

if money is due I’m sure they will be back in touch.

if you did “tell us once” promptly then it’s likely nothing is due.
they are just trying to make their life easier.

Fellwalker

I used Tell Us Once, and the Attendance Allowance Unit wrote to the nearest relative enclosing form DBD971 rather than me as executor who completed the TUO service. She had no idea what it was about!
I rang (2 hours I will not get back) and was told to complete the form as executor and return it.  We'll see if that works. I'm not hopeful because the lady referred to that form number, but told me to cross out two of the sections and put in that I was executor and that the funeral costs had already been covered.  There were no such sections!
The Pensions Service wrote to me as executor, as you'd expect.