Don't die on the wrong date!

10/03/2008

My wife has pointed out to me that if you should have the audacity to die on a Thursday or Friday etc the Government will request repayment of the pension you received between Tuesday and whatever day you died on. Can you advise? 

 

Reader from Stevenage, Hertfordshire

 

The Benefits Doctor says: 

 

The State Pension can only start from a “pay day” - which is usually a Monday. You cannot receive any money for the days before your first pay day - even if you have reached state pension age. If you die, and you are paid weekly in advance, you will be entitled to a full week of state pension for that week. For example: your pay day is Monday 21st January and on this day you were paid one week state pension for period 21st - 27th January. But, you die on Wednesday 23rd January. In this case you will be entitled to State Pension for the full week 21st- 27th January as it cannot be paid in part-weeks.

 

The only reason an overpayment would occur is if the Pension Service are not aware that you have died, and they keep paying you your state pension.

 

 

 

Billions of pounds in benefits go unclaimed each year by older people - often because the “system” seems confusing and demeaning.  MT‘s “Benefits Doctor” Lee Healey, the manager of leading London charity DABD (UK),  is here to help! Lee writes a “Benefits Doctor” column for Mature Times every month. You can write to him with your questions headed “Benefits Enquiries by email to: jayne.warren@maturetimes.co.uk. We cannot promise to answer all enquiries, but we will certainly do our best