DWP sent me letter again to say I owe them money they overpaid my bereaved father

d_pipa

Received a letter again from DWP saying I need to pay them back the money they overpaid my father who passed away few weeks beforehand, I've done Tell Us Once too but it seems that DWP didn't check which is very annoying. And this is becoming a harassment now.

I wonder if I have my right to ignore them as I found this link from Martin Lewis saying I can if someone is already passed away?

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2022/01/dwp-has--no-legal-power--to-force-you-to-repay-pension-or-benefi/#:~:text=Friends%20or%20relatives%20can%20ignore,to%20pay%20the%20money%20back.

HillStreetBlues

It's a standard letter, my understanding is the just send that one letter, personally I would ignore it if you want.

fatbelly

It's a debt to the estate.

Something for the executor to deal with.

Evenif that is you, you are not liable in a personal capacity

frayedknot

If you are not the executor or your father died intestate and you haven't applied  to be administrator just inform them it has nothing to do with you.

I doubt if they're gonna chase £65 too hard. 

prowla

Reading the letter it doesn't appear to be saying you personally are liable.

Newly_retired

The letter does not say you need to pay or must pay nor even should pay. They are asking you to repay money incorrectly paid after your father died, which is not unreasonable. 

If funds are available, the executor or administrator might choose to pay them. 

You are not personally liable.

brewerdave

My mother's State pension was overpaid after her death a few years ago - I was the executor so informed DWP of the overpayment (~£120) - they wrote it off at the time.

saajan_12

Where is the harrassment in a perfectly polite letter? It would stop if you (out of dad's account) paid the money back. 

Robbie64

You won't be forced to pay back the money and given the amount involved, I'm surprised the DWP have even sent a reminder. However, out of interest, did your father die just before the above payment was due to be made? Some overpayments happen because the payment has already been sent to the bank and it is therefore too late to stop the payment going into the bank when the notification from the Tell Us Once service arrives. Technically, the DWP could have recalled the payment (this is something they used to do more regularly at one time) but now the DWP tend to send a letter asking for a repayment to be made.