state pension and probate 23 October 2022 at 6:14PM in Deaths, funerals & probate 7 replies 447 views

Brie

Why would the pension service need to know about probate following a pensioner dying?

The estate in question is very simple.  Money in the bank and not a lot (well below IHT territory).  No property, no valuables, no debts.  The will names OH as executor and sole beneficiary.  So my understanding is that no probate is required.

Are they just being nosey?  Or have I missed something?

p00hsticks

What exactly are they asking ?

Was the deceased in receipt of pension credit ?

Brie

p00hsticks said:

What exactly are they asking ?

Was the deceased in receipt of pension credit ?

MiL was in receipt of state pension and attendance allowance.  No other benefits.  

AA is very simple in asking who any owed money should be paid to.  2 pages most of which blank as the info isn't required.

SP asks the same but then also is there a will, who the executor is and has probate been granted and if not if it's been applied for.  It's not been granted and I thought it wasn't required so it hasn't been applied for.  8 pages of questions - a lot of which are irrelevant as they apply only if there is not a will.

p00hsticks

Brie said:

p00hsticks said:

What exactly are they asking ?

Was the deceased in receipt of pension credit ?

MiL was in receipt of state pension and attendance allowance.  No other benefits.  

AA is very simple in asking who any owed money should be paid to.  2 pages most of which blank as the info isn't required.

SP asks the same but then also is there a will, who the executor is and has probate been granted and if not if it's been applied for.  It's not been granted and I thought it wasn't required so it hasn't been applied for.  8 pages of questions - a lot of which are irrelevant as they apply only if there is not a will.

In that case the questions seem rather excessive - I can only imagine they want to establish who the correct person is for them to contact with any queries regarding the deceased - the executor if there is a will and the closest relative if there is not. 

I'm aware that they often review someones Pension Credit entitlement after death, especially if there is a property owned, which can make it look as if the deceased had a relatively large estate. But my understanding is that, as state pension is paid in arrears then there is usually a relatively small overpayment (if any) which DWP will often not seek to retrieve.

Another possibility - could MiL possibly be one of those women who has been historically underpaid their State Pension and is due a back payment ?   

bobster2

Brie said:

p00hsticks said:

What exactly are they asking ?

Was the deceased in receipt of pension credit ?

MiL was in receipt of state pension and attendance allowance.  No other benefits.  

AA is very simple in asking who any owed money should be paid to.  2 pages most of which blank as the info isn't required.

SP asks the same but then also is there a will, who the executor is and has probate been granted and if not if it's been applied for.  It's not been granted and I thought it wasn't required so it hasn't been applied for.  8 pages of questions - a lot of which are irrelevant as they apply only if there is not a will.

Seems like you're over-thinking this. It's a generic form with questions there so they have the information needed to cover a range of possible scenarios - it doesn't mean they won't quickly process basic requests.

Brie

@p00hsticks - I don't think she was entitled to anything more than she was getting.  But I'll leave that to them to sort out.

@bobster2 - that's what I was thinking, or even overthinking as the case may be.....

Blue_Butterfly

I had a letter from DWP when my husband died a few years ago, after I'd registered his death including "Tell Us Once". They wanted to know who to contact regarding pension adjustments, particularly where to pay any monies due to his estate. I received a payment covering the period between the date of the last payment of SP during my husband's life, until the date of his death. His death occurred in October, so I was sent his Winter Fuel Payment as he was alive during the qualifying week. I was paid that in January, it was a very pleasant surprise! I was also sent a tax rebate without having to claim anything.

I did get a letter requesting repayment of one weeks AA that was paid before I could register the death. This came several months later, but I quickly paid it back. 

The questions about wills and probate are probably to ensure that payments are made to the executor of the estate, as there can be conflicts around inheritances.

Brie

@Blue_Butterfly
good to know how it works in reality.  I'm sure lots of people chuck some of these letters - I nearly threw out the AA one as they were both marked as DWP and I thought it was a duplication somehow.