State Pension overpayments?

[Ozone]

I'm hoping someone can clarify something for me, i'll try and keep it simple:

My dad retired in may 2009 and started claiming his state pension, he also started claiming a private pension of, I believe, £125 per month (waiting for actual figures).

He passed away last January and my sister and I are the executors for his estate.

We have received a letter from the DWP asking for £3000 because they say that they over paid his pension credit because he didn't declare that he had a private pension.

I have asked the DWP to clarify what this means and they are a bit vague for me to understand. They are saying that the state pension payouts are means tested and that if he had declared his private pension then he would have received less state pension.

Is this correct?

[mph1977]

Ozone said:

I'm hoping someone can clarify something for me, i'll try and keep it simple:

My dad retired in may 2009 and started claiming his state pension, he also started claiming a private pension of, I believe, £125 per month (waiting for actual figures).

He passed away last January and my sister and I are the executors for his estate.

We have received a letter from the DWP asking for £3000 because they say that they over paid his pension credit because he didn't declare that he had a private pension.

I have asked the DWP to clarify what this means and they are a bit vague for me to understand. They are saying that the state pension payouts are means tested and that if he had declared his private pension then he would have received less state pension.

Is this correct?

Pension Credit is not the basic state pension

https://www.gov.uk/state-pension/overview

https://www.gov.uk/pension-credit/overview

so by omitting to inform the DWP aobut his occupational pension he may have recieved Pension Credit he was not entitled to

[Ozone]

Thank you mph, that makes sense.

[Ozzie Osmond]

All I would add is - proceed with caution. In other words, you were utterly and completely unaware of his financial affairs until after his death....

[Ozone]

Will do Ozzie. I don't think we can argue against their demand. I have requested a statement from the DWP to confirm the payments that dad received.

[Ozzie Osmond]

Yup, if Dad "made a mistake" so be it. The executors will be surprised yet co-operative.

Our friends at HMRC/DWP have a very big computer and it's good at tracking these things.