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Hello,
Thank you for this forum and all its contributors.
I will be as concise as possible.
My mum passed away earlier this year from Alzheimer's at 88.
I received the standard letter from the DWP after probate was granted about possible overpayment of Pension Credit.
I replied with the form sent with the letter completed and a cover letter explaining that my mother was in an "assessed income period" which means that the claimant should not report any changes to their savings/capital.
They replied saying that they would obtain the records of my mother's claim and respond when they are received.
I have now received a letter from the DWP saying that "the details do not match" and that "too much Pension Credit may have been paid."
They are demanding her bank statement from 6/10/2003.
Surely they must know that banks in the UK do not maintain records further back than 6-7 years. Here they are asking for records from over 12 years ago.
The letter says that if the balance from the date requested is not available to furnish the earliest records available. This would contradict their own rules. If a claimant should not report any changes to savings/capital while in an "assessed income period" as their rules clearly state, then what relevance is a bank statement 5-6 years after the date of the claim?
I have been able to find my mother's bank statement from 24 Dec 2004-27 Jan 2005 which shows her total combined savings/capital from her cash account and savings account at 6209.34 (UK Pounds).
The permitted savings cap for Pension Credit before savings were factored into the payment in 2003 was 6000 (UK Pounds). It is hardly implausible that my mother would have saved 209.34 over the course of 14 months.
So my question is how should I reply?
Should I send the bank statement from 2004/2005? or should I just say that no statement from 2003 is available and that the earliest statement from the bank which would be 2008 has no relevance or bearing on the issue at hand as, again, savings/capital accrued after the claim was processed were not supposed to be reported.
It seems that the DWP sends letters accusing a crime and then asks the recipient to jump through hoops to furnish any evidence that a crime has even taken place.
Thank you very much for taking the time to read. Any help or advice would mean a lot.
Thank you for this forum and all its contributors.
I will be as concise as possible.
My mum passed away earlier this year from Alzheimer's at 88.
I received the standard letter from the DWP after probate was granted about possible overpayment of Pension Credit.
I replied with the form sent with the letter completed and a cover letter explaining that my mother was in an "assessed income period" which means that the claimant should not report any changes to their savings/capital.
They replied saying that they would obtain the records of my mother's claim and respond when they are received.
I have now received a letter from the DWP saying that "the details do not match" and that "too much Pension Credit may have been paid."
They are demanding her bank statement from 6/10/2003.
Surely they must know that banks in the UK do not maintain records further back than 6-7 years. Here they are asking for records from over 12 years ago.
The letter says that if the balance from the date requested is not available to furnish the earliest records available. This would contradict their own rules. If a claimant should not report any changes to savings/capital while in an "assessed income period" as their rules clearly state, then what relevance is a bank statement 5-6 years after the date of the claim?
I have been able to find my mother's bank statement from 24 Dec 2004-27 Jan 2005 which shows her total combined savings/capital from her cash account and savings account at 6209.34 (UK Pounds).
The permitted savings cap for Pension Credit before savings were factored into the payment in 2003 was 6000 (UK Pounds). It is hardly implausible that my mother would have saved 209.34 over the course of 14 months.
So my question is how should I reply?
Should I send the bank statement from 2004/2005? or should I just say that no statement from 2003 is available and that the earliest statement from the bank which would be 2008 has no relevance or bearing on the issue at hand as, again, savings/capital accrued after the claim was processed were not supposed to be reported.
It seems that the DWP sends letters accusing a crime and then asks the recipient to jump through hoops to furnish any evidence that a crime has even taken place.
Thank you very much for taking the time to read. Any help or advice would mean a lot.
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