To tell the pensions credits people to take a running jump!

[boringnickname]

My mother (75) received a letter from the pensions credit people saying that they wanted to conduct a review of her benefits over the telephone. Conversation to last twenty minutes - She just wont be able to do this, she is a physically very able lady and of sound mind, but like many old people this sort of thing leaves her terrified.

Importantly we are in a crap place just now, she is undergoing health tests that may not have a very nice outcome (i can't discuss it i get to upset)

I phoned the pensions credit people to request a home visit so that i could be present to help her with it. Then, whilst i was on the phone i read through the letter properly and realised they wanted to review any changes, monies in accounts, the full shihbang between 2005 and 2010 . So i had the woman on the phone and i said, hang on a minute, why do you want this information now? She had to find someone to ask, turns out this review was overlooked at the time, they have a backlog (someone has royally fucked up). They want bank statements, details of my dads pension (he passed away in 2005) etc - the only monies my mother will have had in those times would be pensions credits and my dads pension (i THINK her pensions credits has some sort of disability benefit in it but i am not sure).

I was absolutely aghast and told them that they have bloody missed the boat and there is no way on this earth i am putting my elderly (likely terminally ill) mother through the additional stress of this, especially as i know that they will have all the information they need anyway.

I have made a complaint and am waiting on the guy to ring me back, he did, a few weeks ago but what with my mother being in and out of hospital etc i have negleccted to get back to them.

Surely they can't do this, this is THEIR MISTAKE, not my mothers - i actually said to the woman "please clarify that this is due to an oversight on your behalf" and she confirmed this on the phone.

Inccompetent doesn't even cover it

anyone?

Didn't want to read and run, no advice sorry, but IMO YANBU!
Hate tax people with a passion as when DH was made redundant, they upped our TCs as I only work PT, then when he thankfully got a new job, they took away the lot straight away, leaving us without money for food etc . Thank god our parents helped us out!
on your behalf tho!
Hope it gets sorted with no or at least very little distress to you or your mum. Also sorry to hear of her illness (hugs)

Thanks IsSam - the woman kept saying "oh i understand how difficult it is for elderly people to collate all of this and deal with these interviews" like that was going to appease me - i just kept repeating, yes it is hard and she is not doing it just to cover your mistakes!

sit tight and wait until they contact you again, ball is in their court. just keep putting them off.

Did you tell them she is terminally ill? There will be someone who can make the decision to leave you be on compassionate grounds. Just state she is too ill to do what they ask and see what happens.

Could be slow going though, everything is in the DWP - but generally they try not to treat pensioners like criminals.....they leave that to working age claimants.

I feel your pain. I had to sit though one of these reviews with my elderly mother. She was apparently helping mum to get all the benefits she was entitled to. Fair enough she did get her some extra benefits. However, funnily enough the amount of money she than had to pay carer's was increased by a similar amount. This was in addittion to a massive increase immediately after the review.

Slippery, she is undergoing tests for cancer, we are hoping and praying that she doesn't have it so very much in limbo now :( They left a message on my answer machine to contact them, but my DP accidentally deleted the message before i could get the number but actually woulnt have rung them, i'll deal with them when I am ready. I am not even going to tell my mum that this is going on as it would fry her head just now. I have told them in no uncertain terms they are NOT to contact my mother and that, when appropriate i will apply to act as an appointee, the woman had the audacity to to tell me not to assume that i would be able to do that as i would have to pass an interview to show i am eligible to be an appointee - WTAF? You mean, id have to prove my competence? Like they did? It beggars belief!

I just dont understand how they can do this, this was their mistake from 7 years ago!!

Write them a recorded delivery letter (and keep a copy) stating that your mother is seriously ill, in and out of hospital, and will not even attempt to deal with them over the telephone, so anything they wish to ask her must be in writing. That way they can't claim that she is refusing to cooperate with reasonable requests for information - she just won't do so by phone.

WTF could she possibly tell them over the phone about 2005 anyway? The whole conversation would be, "I don't know, I'd have to find the documentation for that specific thing, this specific thing, the other specific thing."

Im not sure what she could tell them anyway to be honest serial, i am waiting on results from tests she is having and hoping that this week will see an end to it. Once i know how the land lies i will deal with them, but i am absolutely not going to stress my mother with it at the moment, i noticed on the letter that they don't have my mothers correct telephone number, i shall be in no rush to put them straight!

boring

They may stop her payments unless this gets sorted out. Just saying.

Yeah - better to get it sorted out sooner rather than later IMO. They wont be backing off any time soon so get it over with.