Mums pension has been stopped !

Angry

Registered User
Aug 7, 2014
8
0
Can anyone please assist me before I try and speak to the Works and Pensions people!! Mum went into residential care 2 years ago and has been getting her OAP pension paid into her bank weekly. Her house was sold last October (she is now fully funding care costs herself) and I notified WP earlier this year about her change of address now the house was sold. I don't want private letters going to the care home so using mine now her property is sold. W&P were also informed when she went into care.

I have just gone online to transfer money for mum and was looking to check if a credit had been received for a returned item when I realised she has not had a single penny of her OAP pension paid into her account since 17th June - they now owe her £1000+. No notification has been received by me to advise monies will be stopped, suspended etc. (I have full power of attorney for mum). I am livid to say the least - I thought regardless of living in a care home and being self funding you were still entitled to your OAP pension !!!!

Strange because mum is still receiving her pension credit payments of £26 pw. I received a form from the WP 2 weeks ago regarding Pension Credit payments which I have yet to complete and send back. Pages of questions.....they want every single bit of information about finances etc so i'm sure this too will be stopped.

Is this right that they can stop an OAP's pension - I thought that's why you paid into the system all your working life to get something back when you retired? All feedback will helpful. Thank you.
 

jeany123

Registered User
Mar 24, 2012
19,034
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74
Durham
Yes I would phone them, it might be a simple mistake and if she is entitiled to it she will get it back dated, I don't think there is any need to be angry, it will get sorted,

Best wishes Jeany x
 

jan.s

Registered User
Sep 20, 2011
7,353
0
72
Sounds like someone at the DWP has ticked the wrong box! Give them a ring and I'm sure they'll sort it for you. Sadly these things happen, but it could have caused all kinds of problems for your mum.
 

jenniferpa

Registered User
Jun 27, 2006
39,442
0
Definitely an error on the part of the DWP, but not related to whether she is or is not self-funded, since even if she wasn't she would still receive her pension (since the DWP aren't in the business of essentially paying your bills for you). I bet it's something to do with the address change: someone posted not long ago that they had this happen to their parent. Let me see if I can find the thread.
 

jenniferpa

Registered User
Jun 27, 2006
39,442
0
You receive it from the DWP (as in it goes into your bank account), but you then have to pay it back out to the LA. AA would be stopped at source though.
 

WILLIAMR

Account Closed
Apr 12, 2014
1,078
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Errors do happen.

Going back to the late 90's Dad tried to purchase a train ticket to get back home and his credit / debit cards would not work.
He phoned me and I had to pay cash at my local station and they gave Dad a ticket at the other end.
Fortunately he had enough cash to buy some food for the journey.
When he went to the bank he was supposed to be dead.

The bank did say if he had rang the emergency line arrangements could have been made for funds to get him home.

William
 

Amber 5

Registered User
Jan 20, 2009
890
0
64
Berkshire
Yes Pension can be stopped!

Hi
This situation happened to my Mum a few years ago. I just happened to notice that £0 was paid in one month when Mum was still self funding in her Care Home. I also had informed DWP when she first moved in and assumed they would adjust everything on her files!!! To cut a long story short, and after quite a few frustrating calls to different DWP offices, it turned out they had decided to stop payments in order to prompt contact from us. Don't ask me why they didnt try writing or phoning me first. Something slipped through the net somewhere and I had to have a meeting with a lady from DWP to fill out paperwork to become her signatory (or whatever they call it). Everything was backpaid into her account eventually, but I had to reapply for Pension Credit again.
I couldn't believe they would do such a thing to someone with dementia, but they did! Anyway - it was stressful to sort out, but I was just glad to get everything back on track again and we haven't had any problems since. It is a complete nuisance, but you will need to ring them and dont give up. I hope you won't be passed from pillar to post like I was, but eventually I spoke to someone who knew their job and helped me as much as they could. Best of luck. Let us know how you get on. X
 

jenniferpa

Registered User
Jun 27, 2006
39,442
0
Hi
To cut a long story short, and after quite a few frustrating calls to different DWP offices, it turned out they had decided to stop payments in order to prompt contact from us. Don't ask me why they didnt try writing or phoning me first.

I think perhaps you were the person I was thinking of when I posted above (the "prompt contact" bit sounds very familiar).
 

WILLIAMR

Account Closed
Apr 12, 2014
1,078
0
Hi
This situation happened to my Mum a few years ago. I just happened to notice that £0 was paid in one month when Mum was still self funding in her Care Home. I also had informed DWP when she first moved in and assumed they would adjust everything on her files!!! To cut a long story short, and after quite a few frustrating calls to different DWP offices, it turned out they had decided to stop payments in order to prompt contact from us. Don't ask me why they didnt try writing or phoning me first. Something slipped through the net somewhere and I had to have a meeting with a lady from DWP to fill out paperwork to become her signatory (or whatever they call it). Everything was backpaid into her account eventually, but I had to reapply for Pension Credit again.
I couldn't believe they would do such a thing to someone with dementia, but they did! Anyway - it was stressful to sort out, but I was just glad to get everything back on track again and we haven't had any problems since. It is a complete nuisance, but you will need to ring them and dont give up. I hope you won't be passed from pillar to post like I was, but eventually I spoke to someone who knew their job and helped me as much as they could. Best of luck. Let us know how you get on. X

My occupational pension scheme phones me every 2 years to check I am alive.
They ask questions like who was my last manager and what building did I last work at and who worked on the same desk as me.
I am able to answer these questions as of now but if I ever get dementia that may not be possible.
The other clause they have is if they are unable to contact you within 28 days of the first attempt your pension will be stopped.
I know they had a case where somebody died while doing a tour of India by himself and it took 3 months for the pension scheme to find out but I am sure the pension scheme would have recovered the money.


William
 

starryuk

Registered User
Nov 8, 2012
1,323
0
There are also cases of people continuing to claim state pension for deceased relatives. I seem to remember my mum receiving a form to be filled in to prove she was still 'with us'.

We sorted the matter out easily by phoning the DWP as, of course, the form was never filled out and we discovered it too late. They refunded the money immediately.

edit: Sorry this crossed with the above post
 

Pickles53

Registered User
Feb 25, 2014
2,474
0
Radcliffe on Trent
There was an appalling case recently in our area which was even worse. Relatives had actually killed the elderly folk, buried them in the back garden and continued to claim all their pensions. It took 17 years for this to be discovered:eek: so you can't blame the authorities for checking.
 

WILLIAMR

Account Closed
Apr 12, 2014
1,078
0
There was an appalling case recently in our area which was even worse. Relatives had actually killed the elderly folk, buried them in the back garden and continued to claim all their pensions. It took 17 years for this to be discovered:eek: so you can't blame the authorities for checking.

Hi Pickles


I agree some checks should be done. My father's pension scheme did a visit when he was 85.
Dad offered to go and see them as he passed the office every week but they said they were doing a visit close by.
I suppose the check was more secure as he was still living at the same address as he was when he retired.
I am not sure what they will do about his work mate who is now living in Australia.


William.
 

steviep

Registered User
Dec 11, 2012
149
0
Lancashire
It's probably me you're thinking of Jennifer. I posted a while back about my mum's pension being stopped.

The DWP had withdrawn her PC due to her savings and taking the house into consideration but had inadvertantly withdrawn both SP & PC by mistake.

It took several calls to put it right and she got back pay but it took a few weeks.