Pension Credit £212 overpayment?

[renegadeimp]

Not according to the DWP helpline it doesnt. They said that if you get this code on a payment to your account it means what we said earlier.

[Surfer01]

If you haven't claimed IS then it must be Pension Credit that is processing the payment; IS and PC are the only claims that can be put onto the ISCS. That doesn't tell you what benefit it is because sometimes if more than one benefit is in payment, it is one department that will deal with the payment for both.

 

For example when IB was active, a person could have IB with an IS top up. Sometimes both the payment for IB and IS was paid by IS so it came from ISCS (the income support computer system) but each department still held control over each claim.

Thanks Erika and others. You would think that with all this cutting back etc that when you notify them they would be only too glad to stop the payment immediately.

[Surfer01]

They have replied to my letter and sent me the "award" letter for my Pension Credit but nothing else. Almost as if I never mentioned it. I will write one more letter asking specifically for the award letter for the £212.83 and advising that should I not hear from them, I have to assume that I am definitely entitled to the money as per earlier telephone conversations. Hopefully all telephone conversations are recorded or noted.

[renegadeimp]

You can always record the call yourself or ask them to.

[Surfer01]

We received an award letter showing a breakdown of the Pension Credit, but no mention of the other payment of £212.83. We have sent off another letter today specifically requesting an "award" letter showing the reason for the £212.83 benefit payment. It will be sent normal post with proof of posting and also another one will be sent registered post.

I cannot do anything further than that and will leave it up to them to sort out as I have done my bit on more than one occasion!

[Surfer01]

Today I contacted the Pension Service to advise them of a change of circumstances and that we now receive an occupational pension payment every three months in arrears. The annual amount is only £360. This is paid quarterly in arrears so about £90 per quarter. They wanted to know the amount after tax.

We get Pension Credit plus housing & council tax benefits so actual income is way less than the tax threshold so don't understand why they want to until we have had our first payment before they acknowledge change of circumstances? You try and do the right thing and end up being shot down!

Please advsie.

[reallymadwoman]

I'd have thought that if you put it in writing and sent it recorded signed for then any possible overpayment is there fault and not recoverable. I'd be tempted to put that you don't pay tax so you expect the amount after tax to be exactly the same.

 

I'm assuming you've told housing and council tax benefit people separately.

[Surfer01]

I'd have thought that if you put it in writing and sent it recorded signed for then any possible overpayment is there fault and not recoverable. I'd be tempted to put that you don't pay tax so you expect the amount after tax to be exactly the same.

I'm assuming you've told housing and council tax benefit people separately.

According to DWP you only need to notify the one department for it al to be updated. I gave them the amounts, but they insisted on knowing whether tax would be deductible in case they underpaid us. I rather be underpaid by a few pounds that have an over payment. I wish we were lucky enough to be able to pay tax on the pension amount. The other thing is that as we are paid in arrears, apparently it only starts from the time we receive the payment. No wonder so many people fall foul of the DWP!

[Mr.P]

I wish we were lucky enough to be able to pay tax on the pension amount.

 

You may find that tax has been deducted at source - If it is, it would be worth reclaiming the tax along with any deductions made from interest payments on your savings. Your local HMRC office should be able to help with this.

[reallymadwoman]

And never rely on DWP to tell anybody else anything, not even another department. If they don't it will be your fault regardless of what they tell you.

[Surfer01]

And never rely on DWP to tell anybody else anything, not even another department. If they don't it will be your fault regardless of what they tell you.

One of the reasons why we notify them by phone and then always back it up in writing to the same department. They can then fight amongst themselves who was responsible for the overpayment.

[Surfer01]

Up to two weeks ago we used to receive one lump sum Pension credit for both us on a Wednesday. As we wife now receives State pension, I get PC on the Wednesday and she gets her State Pension on the Friday.

In three months time, I go onto state pension and we will still have two payments per week which seems daft. I thought IDS was out to streamline the process and not burden it down with extra work.

Not sure why we cannot get one lump sum State pension payment per week instead of two?

[Conniff]

I think it is because you are two distinct entities and the entitlements could be different. Each is also entitled to data protection which would mean disclosing her pension to you and your pension to the misses if it was all lumped into one. There is different paydays according to your birthday. The winter fuel payment is split in half as well.

 

It sounds, (just like us), that you are not a mine and hers family but an 'ours'. I don't think they are interested in that, they are probably surprised there are any families left like us.

[Surfer01]

Just seems weird when they having been paying one lump sum to both of us into the same bank account and now two payments into the same bank account? In essence that gives them permission to disclose amounts being paid? Like everything else we will have to adjust to IDS and his money saving or should that be wasting rules. They wanted to pay us every 4 weeks as per the new rules however we objected and will be paid weekly as it is difficult to adjust from being paid weekly to being paid every four weeks. At least monthly would have been an option.

[antone]

Conniff has it - SRP entitlement is based on each individual's NI contribution record and the computer systems that pay pensions aren't set up to combine two completely separate claims.

[antone]

Just seems weird when they having been paying one lump sum to both of us into the same bank account and now two payments into the same bank account? In essence that gives them permission to disclose amounts being paid? Like everything else we will have to adjust to IDS and his money saving or should that be wasting rules. They wanted to pay us every 4 weeks as per the new rules however we objected and will be paid weekly as it is difficult to adjust from being paid weekly to being paid every four weeks. At least monthly would have been an option.

 

As a means tested benefit, Pension Credit is different - it's paid to couples and the total amount due is calculated based on household financial circumstances. SRP isn't really a "benefit" as such, given that it's based on payments you made into the system while working. It would be fairer to call it an "entitlement". Your SRP entitlement, unlike SPC, is not affected by your partner's circumstances.

 

Regarding payment frequency, for historical reasons, pretty much no benefits are paid calendar monthly. This will change with Universal Credit, but (luckily for you) that trainwreck will only affect people of working age.

[Surfer01]

Thanks Antone. If we are treated as individuals any idea why the pension is calculated taking into account my wife's private pension as this affects the amount I get? Always thought that pensions for married couples were treated as joint and not tow separate entities.

[antone]

Thanks Antone. If we are treated as individuals any idea why the pension is calculated taking into account my wife's private pension as this affects the amount I get? Always thought that pensions for married couples were treated as joint and not tow separate entities.

 

I'm afraid I'm not very good with SRP issues - all my professional dealings were with working age benefits. SPC would be calculated based on household income, but I was not aware that SRP would be affected by a partner's private pension.

[Surfer01]

I have been on Pension Credit for about 5 years after doing the initial assessment.

 

 

Thye have been amde aware of any changes in our circumstances and this is reflected on the documentation

we get from them to confirm council and housing benefits.

 

However yesterday we had a phone call from the DWP Pension credit people stating that they wish to visit us again next week

and discuss the Pension Credit payment although there has been no change in circumstances and our savings are almost zilch.

 

Last year when the company pension rules changed,

we took a lump sum payment instead of the pension paying out over the years

and if so it woudl have been about £30 a month maximum.

 

 

I did also get a small inhertance of about £11,000 in January,

but this was used to pay of a HP and a credit card and I think this is allowed under the current rules.

 

As far as I am aware we have always kept them up to date on any changes etc so not sure if it is normal for them to do a check every couple of years?

 

 

Either way we have nothing to hide from them and have always been upfront however with so many regulations, you never know.

 

Hopefully we have nothing to be concerned about.

[citizenkain]

they check up now and then,the bank limit for pension credit is 10,000 so they may ask some questions

[Surfer01]

they check up now and then,the bank limit for pension credit is 10,000 so they may ask some questions

 

We are nowhere near that limit. Not too worried, but...............

[antone]

You are also, I believe, correct in thinking that paying off debts such as HP, credit cards etc is generally OK for SPC claimants. People claiming working age benefits may be treated as having deprived themselves of capital in those circumstances, but Pension Credit is different.

[Surfer01]

I have just remembered that we get a monthly UNUM "income protection" payment of about £202 which is a payment to my wife although she is officially retired now. This was set up by her former employer. The payment is for an accident at her work in which she lost part of her finger. This has always been declared since day one.

I can find nothing in the rule book about this type of payment and apparently this UNUM is sanctioned by the government anyway otherwsie it woudl be pointless taking out the policy and paying into it every month. I am the only one getting a small PC payment on top of my state pension payment.

[lld01]

I have just remembered that we get a monthly UNUM "income protection" payment of about £202 which is a payment to my wife although she is officially retired now. This was set up by her former employer. The payment is for an accident at her work in which she lost part of her finger. This has always been declared since day one.

I can find nothing in the rule book about this type of payment and apparently this UNUM is sanctioned by the government anyway otherwsie it woudl be pointless taking out the policy and paying into it every month. I am the only one getting a small PC payment on top of my state pension payment.

 

Its possible this payment should be taken into account in the PC calculation, but as long as you declared it you shouldn't have anything to worry about.

Visits like this are normal - pc awards generally last 5 years before a review is due.

[Surfer01]

Its possible this payment should be taken into account in the PC calculation, but as long as you declared it you shouldn't have anything to worry about.

Visits like this are normal - pc awards generally last 5 years before a review is due.

 

It si about 5 years since our last visit. The UNUM payment ahs been declared on more than one occasion and I have copies of the letters anyway.