Martin Lewis issues State Pension warning as Brits are told to repay the DWP hundreds
27.01.2022 - 23:03
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis has issued a warning to Brits after people were asked to repay their dead relative's pension.
People have been receiving letters from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) demanding hundreds of pounds.
The issue was raised on Twitter after Radio 4 host Paul Lewis responded to a tweet from a man who had just lost his mother and complained that the DWP had asked the family to return £160.
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When someone dies, their death must be reported within five days in England and Wales, or within eight days in Scotland via the DWP's 'Tell Us Once' service.
In Northern Ireland, deaths must be reported within five days via the Government's bereavement service.
This officially registers them as off the books – meaning any benefit payments will stop.
This process can take several months, during which time state pension payments may continue – money the DWP often comes looking for later down the line.
In a MoneySavingExpert post, Mr Lewis said if you receive a letter asking for repayment, you can ignore it.
He added there is "no legal obligation to repay this debt" and that it could not enforce "recovery of any unpaid debt".
The DWP also added that it would only send out a letter demanding payment once, says the Mirror.
Mr Lewis wrote: "If you are not happy doing that then write back asking what statutory power the DWP is relying on to recover the money. It will then respond to say it has no power. You can then confidently ignore the payment demand. The DWP also cannot use common law to recover the debt."
A DWP spokesperson said: "There is no legal obligation to repay a debt of