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Another "DWP - recovery from estates"

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  • martin2345ukmartin2345uk Forumite
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    It's not in progress as such; already accepted 2 offers only for them to be withdrawn due to various issues on the buyers' sides... got another offer at the moment from someone who hasn't sold his house yet.

    I just thought I should put it on hold because i will be porting my mortgage over to buy sister out of mum's house, which apparently I should not do until this repayment thing with the DWP is settled...
  • user1977user1977 Forumite
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    It's only a risk if you wouldn't then have enough cash to repay whatever (if anything) is due to the DWP. 
  • martin2345ukmartin2345uk Forumite
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    I mean that's the issue I guess, I just don't know what the outcome of this DWP thing will be and I am just very wary of risking it
  • user1977user1977 Forumite
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    I mean that's the issue I guess, I just don't know what the outcome of this DWP thing will be and I am just very wary of risking it
    Have you really no idea what she had been claiming in benefits and whether it was legitimate? I would expect to be able to figure it out from her paperwork, but understandable if you're lacking in that...
  • p00hsticksp00hsticks Forumite
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    I mean that's the issue I guess, I just don't know what the outcome of this DWP thing will be and I am just very wary of risking it

    Can you not get access to a bank statement of hers ? All benefit payments in should be shown with a reference 'DWP XX' where XX is the specific benefit - e.g SP will be State Pension, AA is attendence allowance, PC is Pension Credit. As far as I'm aware the last one is the only means-tested one that could possibly have led to a significant overpayment, although as others have said, it's most likely that any claim was perfectly justified and it's simply the size of the estate including the house (whcih owuld be ignored when assessing a Pension Credit claim) that has prompted the letter.
  • ShelldeanShelldean Forumite
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    Firstly don't panic.

    My guess is that your mum was getting pension credit.
    And she has an a protected income....can't recall all the correct names, sorry it's been over ten years since I dealt with similar.
    But basically means your mum didn't need to report any changes to her savings. 
    So her saving balance was XX when she applied, but her 'design's at death was XXX. And DWP want to check why the discrepancy!



    This page helps explain.

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pension-credit-technical-guidance/a-detailed-guide-to-pension-credit-for-advisers-and-others#assessed-income-period


    Read the bit about AIP. if your mum was over 75 when she claimed the period would have been indefinite and ended with her death? I believe?

    This has since been fazed out. But if your mum had been on pension credit since before it was stopped (2016) I believe this is the issue.
  • getmore4lessgetmore4less Forumite
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    The main issue with proceeding with the property is there is not enough cash to pay off sis.

    Any refund will in effect reduce the residual estate.

    You buy the property off the estate with a cash input.

    Final distribution can wait.

    Unless someone is living in the house the sooner you get it sorted the sooner the drain on the estate remains.

    Council tax will kick in a few months.
  • martin2345ukmartin2345uk Forumite
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    Well they have finally got back to me, now asking for bank statements from 19th Feb 2021 to 12th Nov 2021 (date of death). I will have to go to the bank to try and get them as I don't have any copies or anything like that.

    Honestly I am just finding this all so stressful  :'(
  • MalMonroeMalMonroe Forumite
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    Well they have finally got back to me, now asking for bank statements from 19th Feb 2021 to 12th Nov 2021 (date of death). I will have to go to the bank to try and get them as I don't have any copies or anything like that.

    Honestly I am just finding this all so stressful  :'(
    Hi, so sorry that this is still continuing for you. My family and I had to go through similar things at the times when our parents died and it's really horrible. They, too, only claimed minimal benefits and it turned out that the overpayments were very small - although DWP made a big song and dance. It's really high time their staff were trained how to deal with the recently bereaved.

    Are you able to just phone the bank?  Ask them to post the statements - or send via email? The bank should have scans of the documents. Everything takes so long with DWP that you don't feel you can ever recover or start to grieve properly, I do feel for you and know how you feel, since their demands just make everything drag on.

    I do hope you manage to sort things out quickly, even though there are still a few official hoops to still jump through.

    I wish you all the best, things will get better, it just does take time.  
    Please note - taken from the Forum Rules and amended for my own personal use (with thanks) : It is up to you to investigate, check, double-check and check yet again before you make any decisions or take any action based on any information you glean from any of my posts. Although I do carry out careful research before posting and never intend to mislead or supply out-of-date or incorrect information, please do not rely 100% on what you are reading. Verify everything in order to protect yourself as you are responsible for any action you consequently take.
  • martin2345ukmartin2345uk Forumite
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    Thank you for the lovely supportive message, that means a lot. 
    I would rather go into the bank in person, I am more a face to face kind of guy. I will go tomorrow :smile:
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