DWP overpayment figure after a bereavment

Jimbouk

Hi allI am dealing with a very small estate and would appreciate advice and thoughts on the following.

My mother passed on the 22/04/2026 and I have received a request for repayment of overpaid benefits from the DWP.

She received payments for State pension and Pension credit on 23rd March ,30th March and 2nd April which DWP are requesting full repayment of all three payments .

I have no issue at all with the overpayments for 30th March and 2nd April ,however I query the payment dated 23rd March as i had understood that State Pension is normally paid in arrears, which would mean this payment covered the period immediately prior to her death.

On contacting the DWP bereavement team , I have been advised payment was for the following week (23rd to 30th ) which I find strange.I will contact again asking for detailed breakdown relating each date and payment and what period it refers to .

Any thoughts would be greatly received Thanks in AdvanceJim

Grumpy_chap

Sorry for your loss.

Have you mis-typed the date of death?

ScratchyCat

Oh how interesting. My mum passed away last year. DWP sent me a letter requesting the last weeks pension back also.

Online it says pension is paid in arrears. The day its paid is based on the last 2 digits of the NI number, but it may take a few days to appear in the account. Which is how I see it.

I queried this with DWP. Made 3 seperate phone calls in an attempt to speak to the correct department. Two of which said they couldnt advise as it was a bereavement. Bereavement said its been issued by DWP debt department so I'd have to speak to them. I gave up.

However each of the 3 departments said was its not necessarily paid in arrears.

Even with bank statements and letters I've found they don't go back far enough to be able to prove whether its paid in advance or not. But everywhere I found online says paid in arrears. When I said this to DWP they even said to me, I don't know where you got that from. In effect completely denying the online info. And yet we are advised to go to the online help sections for advice.

I have not paid the money back to date. I will be passing it onto my solicitor to deal with.

Jimbouk

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81998238#Comment_81998238

Sorry yes 22nd March 2026

Robbie64

Was both State Pension and Pension Credit paid weekly or 4 weekly? If the claim predates April 2010 then both can be paid in advance but I think this would only apply if those two benefits were being paid weekly.

Newcad

... DWP are requesting full repayment of all three payments .

I believe that the relevant word there is "requesting" - ie. Not "Demanding".

You have to read such letters carefully.

They are often written to strongly suggest that you have to pay what they are "requesting" - when in fact you have no legal obligation to pay anything, and all they are doing is trying it on.

Sallyp2

hello, you don't have to pay anything

do a Google sesrch - pretty sure they don't send debt collectors

TimeLord1

Ask them to confirm on record if her State Pension was "paid in advance" or "paid in arrears."

Request a formal "Debt Management Breakdown" letter. This is a standard document that lists the benefit type, the period it covers, and why it is considered recoverable.

Since this is a "very small estate," if the estate has no funds left after funeral expenses, the DWP generally cannot recover the debt from you personally. Debts die with the estate if there are no assets to cover them.

As @Newcad stating they do try to make you look responsible for a debt you're not legally obligated to pay.

Sorry for your loss.

TELLIT01

DWP will request repayment but, unless the system has changed, will only do so once. Ignore the letter.

Jimbouk

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81998929#Comment_81998929

Both paid weekly

Robbie64

If both pensions were in payment on April 10, 2010 then both will have been paid in advance.