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Elderly parents
Original poster

Shit is my aunt getting too much money

61 replies

NoOneKnowsWhoYouAre · 04/01/2025 16:16

I have POA for my 87 yo aunt. She has been in a care home for 3 years. Prior to this she got attendance and I got carers allowance. I rang and told them she was in a care home She gets £340 a week which I assumed was her state pension plus her widows pension as her DH died 30 years ago after working full time. She pays £1291 every 4 weeks to the care home. So is left with £80 a month for personal spends. The rest is topped up by the council. When I stopped claiming carers and attendance allowance it had been overpaid so we had to pay back £600.

Today I have had a call from someone who said she was from the DWP saying she needed to come and visit my aunt and I to check she was still allowed it as it had been claimed in COVID. She said that the attendance allowance claim was still active??

Now I'm panicking that she has been overpaid for 3 years. She has no money to pay them back. I use that £80 to take her out and but her clothes etc each month. None of the benefits calculations work when someone is in a care home.

Anyone have any idea what is going on here?

OP posts:
Stigsmother · 04/01/2025 23:14

polpolpolpol · 04/01/2025 22:08

I don't know if you saw my comment above but I would be dubious as to the legitimacy of the call. The DWP would not ordinarily call a relative they would write to the person or an official appointee. Something to think about anyway.

The DWP treats POA as appointeeship, in fact POA trumps a DWP appointeeship as POA is court ordered. And we would call an appointee/POA if a discrepancy occurred, its quicker, and people don't always take any notice of letters.

polpolpolpol · 04/01/2025 23:08

genesis92 · 04/01/2025 23:03

Why does the care home only cost £1200 a month?!

It doesn't, that's her contribution and the local authority pays the rest.

genesis92 · 04/01/2025 23:03

Why does the care home only cost £1200 a month?!

healthybychristmas · 04/01/2025 22:53

I just can't believe someone would call in that capacity on a Saturday, particularly on a Saturday before everyone goes back to work on Monday. Did she mention you making a payment to her?

Nana4 · 04/01/2025 22:40

NoOneKnowsWhoYouAre · 04/01/2025 22:28

I did wonder this as she didn't ask me any identification questions, so I told her to write to me. She wanted to visit me though and had my aunts name which was weird.

I did Google the number and it seems to be a legitimate one but I know they can be forged

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Presumably they have your contact details from the POA

UltimateFoole · 04/01/2025 22:33

On DM’s bank statement the state pension and attendance allowance come as separate payments. DM’s AA is paid monthly - although it may be that you can choose to be paid weekly or monthly.

Hope that helps.

Original poster
NoOneKnowsWhoYouAre · 04/01/2025 22:28

polpolpolpol · 04/01/2025 22:08

I don't know if you saw my comment above but I would be dubious as to the legitimacy of the call. The DWP would not ordinarily call a relative they would write to the person or an official appointee. Something to think about anyway.

I did wonder this as she didn't ask me any identification questions, so I told her to write to me. She wanted to visit me though and had my aunts name which was weird.

I did Google the number and it seems to be a legitimate one but I know they can be forged

OP posts:
polpolpolpol · 04/01/2025 22:08

I don't know if you saw my comment above but I would be dubious as to the legitimacy of the call. The DWP would not ordinarily call a relative they would write to the person or an official appointee. Something to think about anyway.

Theunamedcat · 04/01/2025 22:03

It sounds like thet suspended it and haven't actually been paying on it they just haven't closed it properly

Original poster
NoOneKnowsWhoYouAre · 04/01/2025 21:27

unsync · 04/01/2025 17:57

SP is State Pension. What does her annual statement show? They normally come out around now or dig out last tax year's statement. There are a number of reasons why she may have an elevated state pension. Try not to worry too much.

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I'll try to dig it out tomorrow. Hopefully it's not going to end up with her owing loads of money, but if she does they will have to agree a minimal payment plan.

OP posts:
StiffyByngsDogBartholomewsChristmasBone · 04/01/2025 21:26

We are in England and mums attendance allowance is dealt with through the local council; it stopped when they funded her respite care when my dad had an accident. However when dad funds respite care privately the AA continues as it's a private arrangement. When she went home after dads accident it was reinstated; in the meantime it went directly into the care home fees. It was all dealt with through the social workers but being in a nursing home didn't make her not entitled to it, it just meant it went directly to the council to fund her care.
I'd speak to the social worker that deals with the local authority top up.

Mischance · 04/01/2025 20:54

The LA finance department will be on top of this as they are the funders - ring them. They will have all her financial details and will know what benefits she is entitled to and is getting - they deal with this situation all the time.

SnugNightsss · 04/01/2025 20:51

If it does turn out they’ve overpaid her, then offer them £1 a month. They just want to close the file with a resolution so are very likely to accept it.

unsync · 04/01/2025 17:57

NoOneKnowsWhoYouAre · 04/01/2025 17:27

The £340 a week is all in one lump sum. It shows as DWP SP on her bank account

Show quote history

SP is State Pension. What does her annual statement show? They normally come out around now or dig out last tax year's statement. There are a number of reasons why she may have an elevated state pension. Try not to worry too much.

Nana4 · 04/01/2025 17:57

I wouldn’t worry too much but do some checking
I dealt with my late mother’s finances, same age, care home but self funding so she still received attendance allowance.
state pension was paid weekly, the AA was paid monthly, the two were never lumped together.
Check the bank statements for any receipts other than state pension.
It may be that the claim wasn’t closed down properly and is still active on DWP records but they are not actually paying anyone.

polpolpolpol · 04/01/2025 17:38

SP is state pension, AA isn't included in this.

Original poster
NoOneKnowsWhoYouAre · 04/01/2025 17:34

Will the La have to pay back what she has over paid? She is paying them based on her actual income, hence why they take nearly all of it. If so that would pretty much pay back the DWP

OP posts:
Original poster
NoOneKnowsWhoYouAre · 04/01/2025 17:32

Hence why I thought it was state pension!!

OP posts:
Original poster
NoOneKnowsWhoYouAre · 04/01/2025 17:27

unsync · 04/01/2025 17:17

Attendance Allowance can still be paid if she is self funding. The payments will appear in her bank account with 'dwp aa' at the end of the reference.

The £340 a week is all in one lump sum. It shows as DWP SP on her bank account

OP posts:
polpolpolpol · 04/01/2025 17:24

unsync · 04/01/2025 17:17

Attendance Allowance can still be paid if she is self funding. The payments will appear in her bank account with 'dwp aa' at the end of the reference.

She isn't self funding

endsnewyearsday · 04/01/2025 17:20

They're idiots. My DF had his benefits miscalculated by them, so paid too little for his social housing. Then they took a big chunk of money out of his account, then asked to see bank statements but miscalculated it again based on that. It's taken months to sort out and been really stressful.

However, as others have said, they can't take what she doesn't have.

Mischance · 04/01/2025 17:20

If your aunt is self-funding she is allowed to claim AA. I do not think that is the case though from your posts.

But if the LA is responsible for her care fees (with your aunt paying her agreed contribution to them) then she cannot.

Do not panic. Even if there has been an overpayment in error (either hers or the AA folk) then all that happens is that an agreed amount is paid back per week. Speak to the LA finance department about it before meeting with AA. They will be able to help clarify it all.

Iloveeverycat · 04/01/2025 17:18

If she hasn't got much savings she can claim pension credit too.

unsync · 04/01/2025 17:17

Attendance Allowance can still be paid if she is self funding. The payments will appear in her bank account with 'dwp aa' at the end of the reference.

Theunamedcat · 04/01/2025 17:16

Check the bank statements they usually need a phone call to reactivate the claim it's not automatic my dad's was suspended while he was in hospital I had to call when he came out she was lovely and said she was glad he pulled through (we expected him to die it was in his notes because I rang them "late")

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