Saffy's Mum's Estate and the DWP

[Schiller]

Re: Saffy's Mum's Estate and the DWP

@Sapphire: thanks for your message. In fairness, I should report that I did indeed call DWP (their 'phone number for this purpose is 0845 850 0051), and was very well treated. This was a pleasant surprise, after all of the calls I have recently made to utility companies etc (don't get me started - surely their call centres should be briefed not to act like none of their millions of customers has ever died before?).

The DWP line was answered by a real human being, who engaged in a proper discussion with me, rather than just reading things from a card, or disappearing to "speak to a supervisor".

The lady made the expected points that a) their department has a duty to taxpayers, and b) they don't have automatic access to all the Inland Revenue's information. It's her job to say that, and I acknowledged that I understood that it was, and that she was a real person like me, doing a tricky job.

She told me that we weren't being singled out - apparently, they now do it to everyone (what the value of widening their net to everyone is, I simply don't know, but it did make me feel a bit less like a criminal).

I did make the points I wrote about above, about the tone and content of the letter, quite strongly, and she said this was "being looked into". She told me they'd had a fair few complaints about their standard form. So, maybe there will be some changes for the better in time.

I did make a point of telling her clearly that, although I didn't like the message, I did appreciate the way she'd handled the call. I think it's always important to do that on the (rare) occasions when it's deserved.

I'll send in my form in a few days now. If there's a legitimate reason to pay up, I will without complaint. (But not otherwise!) Fingers crossed...

[Schiller]

Re: Saffy's Mum's Estate and the DWP

No reply yet - understandably - but I did receive a "chasing up" letter from DWP a few days ago, which clearly crossed in the post with my reply to them. I'm afraid it did make me lose my rag a bit, and I called them up and told them so. Just when I thought I had all the emotional side under control!
The problem is, the wording of their letter makes absolutely no acknowledgement of the situation you're in - it might just as well be a routine final demand from the gas company. It's just not that easy to piece together someone's personal affairs after they've gone, and they might just show some sign of recognising that. Oh well!

[Sapphire]

Re: Saffy's Mum's Estate and the DWP

Awwwww (((((Hugs))))) keep strong you will get through this, each day you do feel a lot more able to cope and then one day you'll realise that you've come through it all.

I must admit though thats exactly how I felt, it was as if mums life meant sod all, that she was in fact just a name or number on a piece of paper. I know its not the fault of the people that work there really, that its basically a computer generated communication but when you're trying to get through it all, the emotions, the sorting out and other stuff, you really do not need those kind of communications.

In a way thats why I've decided that they can wait till I feel ready, not when THEY demand that I am.

[WINTER84]

Re: Saffy's Mum's Estate and the DWP

Sapphy, Mr Tutts said the best place for advice in this matter is the CAB as they would have had a lot of experience with this type of claim. Unless someone on LB has a better knowledge.

These departments do not write unless they feel that there is something for them to gain. Without knowing all the ins and outs of your late mothers benefits, maybe it is possible that she did not declare all.....(may be not deliberately) this is just pure a guess reading inbetween the lines of that letter.

xxxxxxx

Hi there, I am dealing with the same thing for my late grandma, but they have said to me that there may have been an overpayment on her income benefit! like you I have no idea if she did or what. Who are the CAB? as I need some advise about this big time

[Sapphire]

Re: Saffy's Mum's Estate and the DWP

The CAB is the Citizens Advice Bureau.

[WINTER84]

Re: Saffy's Mum's Estate and the DWP

Sorry to latch on to an old thread,but like one of the earlier posters, I found this via a search engine, and it fits my own circumstances very closely.

I've been delaying my reply to DWP as I frankly did not trust myself at first, but once Christmas (a tough time for the bereaved, no?) is out of the way I will ring them up. I think that, stripped of the emotion, the points I'll try to make are:

1. The whole form and tone of their standard letter is offensive and upsetting. It does seem to assume that there has been wrongdoing, without attempting to spell out what the rules actually are. So, the recipient is left biting their nails while some jobsworth graciously determines whether or not a bereaved person is to be tormented any further.

2. It is inefficient: the information I'll be giving is no different from what I have already told the probate people and HMRC.

3. It doesn't say a lot for their vaunted understanding of personal circumstances. If they were so caring, they might work out that half-blind octogenarian widows with no other means of support don't actually tend to indulge in fraudulent schemes - they're too busy just surviving.

4. It seems to be triggered by their annoyance at having made an overpayment - i.e. paying one whole weekly instalment after the death (which has now been repaid). Now... hands up everyone whose first thought on hearing of their surviving parent's death was "Hey! Must call up the DWP in case they pay a week's money to a dead person!" What planet do these people live on??

5. Finally - how dare they try to tell us whether we can or cannot distribute any of the estate? They have absolutely no legal entitlement to interfere with the distribution. The implication here is that we are all idiots, incapable of keeping enough money back to meet any claims.

As someone else said on this thread, goodness knows how all this must look to anyone less savvy - potentially very scary, I should think.

Sorry to rant - anyhoo, thanks for listening. I'll let you know how I get on...

I totally agree with you. I am going through the same thing with my late grandma and they have told me not to distribute the estate. They can sod off!!!!!!! They have said she may have been overpaid on income benefit but sorry this is not our error. Totally disgraceful! I am going to speak to a solicitor about this!

[chillywinter]

Re: Saffy's Mum's Estate and the DWP

Another addition to this already lengthy thread! I'd like to retrospectively thank everyone who has posted their experiences. I sympathise with how you all feel, having also recently lost a loved one.

My Mum died in May. She had no debts, because she had no money to run any up! She received a state pension, a pension credit and an attendance allowance.

I dealt with an overpayment of Mum's pension back in July, when the DWP sent me a letter. I checked her PO card account, and there it was. There was some extra money left over, but I shrugged and thought that Mum was owed it.

Two weeks ago my sister received two letters from the DWP on consecutive days, which was confusing - mainly because I'd been dealing with the paperwork (but her name was first on the grant of probate, so go figure - the grant had triggered the letters). One told us that we owed them money (the extra mentioned in the paragraph above) and the second asked about Mum's estate.........this is the badly-worded letter that seems to be coming up on this forum so much.

My first thought was - we've done something wrong. Having read and re-read the letters, my second thought was - this lot don't know what they're doing. If I hadn't found this forum, I think I would have been worried sick.

I called the DWP: Mum's benefits were paid in advance, not arrears, so I have to pay the money back. Fair enough. I griped about the fact that I have to repeat the info I've already given the Revenue and the Probate Registry. The chap on the phone told me that there is no mechanism for them to get access to this information from either of those parties. I also complained about the tone of the letter.

It comes down to this. Me and my sister have received three letters between us. Two are about the same thing (overpayments). One is about info that another govt dept has available, and is worded to make you feel like a benefit cheat. Assuming I get this matter resolved without a fuss, I think I will be complaining about this process in general - I find it pretty offensive that my Mum, who was barely entitled to a penny while alive, is being chased down for money now she's dead.

[labtec]

Re: Saffy's Mum's Estate and the DWP

I have just found this website and also have lost a loved one, my mum, last October. DWP were paid back a small amount of benefit that had been paid in advance and have now sent me a letter identical to Saffy. Can anyone tell me what the term "funeral and administration costs" means on the form the DWP want you to complete? Am i submitting details that mirror the figures in the inheritance tax forms where the funeral and administration costs are the total costs of the funeral and all debts that have been paid out of the estate?

[Sapphire]

Re: Saffy's Mum's Estate and the DWP

Hi labtec, I'm sorry to hear about your loss hun, in time though I don't believe it hurts any less but you do learn to deal with it, big ((((Hugs))))).

Re: 'Funeral and administration costs' yes I do believe that its any costs that incur after your mum passed away, including the funeral, the wake (if you had one), flowers etc. Don't forget any costs from say Solicitors for reading the will if there was one. So basically anything you have had to pay out.

[righty]

Re: Saffy's Mum's Estate and the DWP

"reading the Will" is a common misconception it only happens in the movies & is I assume for dramatic effect to show the family in full vulture mode.

If anyone attempts to claims fees for such a service tell him/her to take a hike & if a solicitor that you'll report them to the SRA ............ then do it

[Sapphire]

Re: Saffy's Mum's Estate and the DWP

Well then Righty you must be a lot younger than me, I can remember as a small child, when my grandmother died a man in a dark suit coming to the house, all the family in there and he said and read the will (I won't go into the argument about her gold watch that was left to me and my Auntie wanted it).

Must have changed since then eh !

[righty]

Re: Saffy's Mum's Estate and the DWP

My probate lawyer friend tells me they get asked all of the time if there will be a reading to which they reply "no I will write to each individual beneficiary" Whilst the beneficiary is what's known as an 'interested party' to be advised of how the administration his going, the duty of the solicitor is to the Executor(s) who may or may not be beneficiaries in their own right but the solicitor who wrote the Will are excluded from being beneficiaries except where the gift is of little value

[Sapphire]

Re: Saffy's Mum's Estate and the DWP

Ahhh on thinking about it Righty, as I was about 8 years old, a stern man in a dark suit most probably would seem to be a Solicitor to me, in actual fact as you say it could have been anyone who was the 'Executor' couldn't it.

[Amethyst]

Re: Saffy's Mum's Estate and the DWP

Aww shame, I knew that really seeing as lots of peeps have died and I've never known anyone have to attend a will reading, but i still have my fantasies about leaving narky messages in the will to be read out in front of the amassed mourners lol - not that I have anything to leave mind, just the thought amuses me (and I don't have a will yet even)

Sorry bit off topic...

[The Debt Star]

Re: Saffy's Mum's Estate and the DWP

seems like there's not much to worry about with that letter from the DWP Sapph, its just a standard thing they do to make sure that there's no overpayments etc.

correct. The DWP letter is routine where they think capital may have been incorrectly disclosed.