DWP Harrassing us

We are 2 females of pension age who occupy one house. We are in poor health, and getting worse. We have no family support. We keep our own bank accounts, nothing joint, however for the past 15 months we feel we are being harrassed.

About 15 months' ago we each received letters advising of a 'joint' visit, at the time I was hospitalized and this was cancelled.

A couple of months' later, our Pension Credits were suddenly stopped and another visit was announced after 2 weeks' payments had been missed. A nice lady came we answered all of her questions truthfully, even offering her a tour of the house as she seemed to be questioning our living arrangements. She declined, said she was happy, and said our benefits would begin very shortly. 13 weeks later, nothing, no letters, no money, nothing. I was again in hospital, and a helper on the ward told my friend she should contact CAB. That proved impossible no local telephone number, and being disabled there was no parking anyware near the local office so my friend called DWP. Nothing much was said, she was asked to wait, then after a short while was told the back payments would be put into her bank that day, and regular payments would commence the next Monday, no apology, no explanation, nothing. When I came home from hospital I did the same, and was treated in the same way. For almost a year nothing happened, no contact, nothing, and nothing has changed in our individual circumstances, however, the day before this bank holiday weekend, one of us received a letter telling to say that the addressee only, should attend for interview, bring all the usual and sometimes very private pieces of 'evidence'. The same that they had seen from both of us during their last visit.

Both of us are physically disabled and would be claiming carers' allowance for each other, but we are too old. We just want to be left alone for whatever time we each have left, and their continual embarrassment and innuendo are causing much anxiety.

Personally, I have a re-occurrence of Cancer being treated, We have both received the recently highlighted breast screening letters, I have just had a knee replacement, am being treated for a painful hip -problem and now diagnosed with Arthritis of the spin to add to all the other joints that are already affected.

We really would just like these people to be honest with us and stop treating us this way. We never made a formal complaint about the 13 weeks with Pension Credit, perhaps we should have?

What would anyone suggest to get them off our backs, or will only death do that.
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Comments

  • Hi and welcome, my suggestion would be on Tuesday to contact your local MP as the way you have been/are being treated seems totally unfair.
    Just one other thought do either of you get Attendance Allowance? as it sounds like you should be.
  • NeilCr
    NeilCr Posts: 4,430
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    Macmillan can provide benefits support and advice to those suffering from cancer. Some areas have benefit workers

    https://finance.macmillan.org.uk/benefits/benefits-online

    If your CAB does not have a local telephone number they may do email. If you are prepared to let us know where you live I can check this for you. If it's a well funded office they may have a benefits worker who could visit you - or know of another organisation who could help (possibly AgeUK)
  • NeilCr
    NeilCr Posts: 4,430
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    venison wrote: »
    Just one other thought do either of you get Attendance Allowance? as it sounds like you should be.

    I assumed they were given the reference to Carers Allowance. Or DLA or PIP.

    There is no upper age limit for CA

    https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/carers-allowance/
  • w06
    w06 Posts: 917 Forumite
    perhaps take a step back and look at it objectively:

    Two adults living together reliant on state benefits

    A household of two adults is entitled to less in total than two households of one adult, because of shared costs

    The DWP need to check that the claim is correct, they did this a year ago and are doing so again now
  • Silvertabby
    Silvertabby Posts: 8,970
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    Is it possible that DWP, for whatever reason, believe that you are living together as a 'couple' rather than as two single ladies?

    The combined State benefits of a couple are less than the total of 2 separate claims.
  • marliepanda
    marliepanda Posts: 7,186 Forumite
    Is it possible that DWP, for whatever reason, believe that you are living together as a 'couple' rather than as two single ladies?

    The combined State benefits of a couple are less than the total of 2 separate claims.

    I’m guessing that’s exactly it as the OP refers to embarrassment and ‘innuendo’
  • Nick_C
    Nick_C Posts: 7,442
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    That's obviously what the DWP suspect, and they have a duty to investigate this.

    Prior to gay people getting equality under the law, a homosexual couple could not be treated as a couple, and they had an unfair advantage when it came to claiming benefits. That situation has now changed, and rightly so, but some gay couples will be financially worse off now.

    My boyfriend and I keep our finances separate. Lots of couples do. We have separate bedrooms. We sometimes prepare meals separately. But we are a couple, and would rightly be treated as such if we were ever to claim means tested benefits.
  • Nick_C
    Nick_C Posts: 7,442
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    We are 2 females of pension age who occupy one house.

    Perhaps you could enlighten us all by explaining more about your situation?
  • xylophone
    xylophone Posts: 44,139
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    Perhaps you could enlighten us all by explaining more about your situation?

    It seems clear from what has already been said that that the two people in question are simply friends who share a property?

    I wonder how they possibly can prove that they are not a couple?
  • Nick_C
    Nick_C Posts: 7,442
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    xylophone wrote: »
    It seems clear from what has already been said that that the two people in question are simply friends who share a property?

    Not at all clear. They seem to be skirting around the issue.

    An Adjudicator would need a lot more information than we have here to make a decision.
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