To expect the DWP to send the correct information to the correct people FYI I'm not and never have been dead.

[onlyjoking9329]

I'm rather cross, so I may well be unreasonable
So today the postie brings a letter from the DWP.
It is addressed to my son, he has ASD so I'm authorised to deal with paperwork etc on his behalf.

Letter says.....
Dear Master joking
We understand you were acting for, or have recently been appointed to act for the late Mrs onlyjoking.
Were are sorry to hear that mrs onlyjoking has died.
Apparently they owe me some backdated money from before I died, and would like to pay it to him.

I'm not very pleased, either DWP have cocked it up, which is not unheard of.
Or someone MIL has informed the DWP that I am in fact dead.
I will be having an interesting phone conversation on Monday.

Does anyone have ideas of what I should say to them, other than swearing.

Well, if it is possible someone has told them you're dead, it's not really their fault.

Mistakes happen and whilst I can understand that his one is particularly annoying, the only thing you can really do is explain their mistake calmly and ask them to sort it out.

The conversation with MIL OTOH.....

Bet you can't get past security cos you aren't dead

Are you absolutely sure you are not a zombie?

Did you just wake up from a realllllllly loooooong sleep?

You sure you not come back to life. . On a serious note contact them and inform them that you are very much alive, and was ver distressed to hear of your own passing. Id love to be a fly on your telephone on monday. Enjoy wine and chocolate as you are dead you cant put weight on or get drunk.... Benefits.

I'd get the money off them before I told them rumours of my death were somewhat exaggerated.

Awesome! This should be a very interesting conversation on Monday! They should have a record of who informed them of the 'death'.

Is there backstory to warrant logging it with the police as a death threat?

Even if they thought you were dead how could your ds with asd be your appointee?

Fraud possibly? Strange to have all your details but the money you never knew about rings alarm bells.

Is your MiL likely to have told them you're dead?

Excellent excuse for not talking to her.

"Couldn't answer the phone. I'm dead, remember?"

The Tax people recently tried to convince me that I'd left my job and had started working elsewhere. I really hadn't. They asked if I was 'sure'.

Oh dear. Surely DWP would require evidence you're dead before sending out paperwork!

apparently you just need to ring them to inform them of a death so who made the call? or is there someone with the same name as you whose family is waiting for a back payment

i hope you have money in the bank because it takes one call to remove your money and many to get it back we got sanctioned once it was lifted on appeal so one department said okay you're not sanctioned and told the jobcentre they failed to inform the payments people who would not pay because we were "sanctioned" on there screen no problem said dept one just give them an emergency payment till we sort it out on monday (this was thursday) but we can't said the jobcentre our screen says they are not sanctioned and entitled to their money so we can't give them a penny then the strangest phone call ever the adviser rang dept one told them to get onto payments and make them pay us because our bills were due and we didn't have enough money to cover it if we didn't pay our bills we wouldn't be able to look for work properly and he would have to put us for sanction AGAIN and we would have to appeal AGAIN! it makes no sense does it!

Are you absolutely sure it's a genuine DWP letter and not a fake? I'd be wondering how they can change your son's status to being an appointee from needing an appointee. It is a bit weird as, when I've been appointed as appointee (twice - 2 sons with SN), a person from the local office came out to meet me/us and get the forms signed. I was given to understand this is how they prefer to do it, for obvious reasons. Also, I'd assume - till they see a copy of a death certificate - then a person is not dead in their eyes. I suppose that might have been faked though. Bizarre.

x-post. Just seen inadarkplace - that is quite worrying really - that somebody with a grudge can just phone up. Blimey! OP, as well as phoning them asap, I'd involve your local MP esp if they try to stop the money. Thing is though it's the carer not the recipient of benefit who is 'dead' in this case. I've found MP works magic in cases like this - though we've never been inn exact same position.

I think I would look up the number and call Monday. I wouldn't use the number on the letter in case it is some weird scam thing.

Sounds dodgy to me. Don't phone the number on the letter...check online to see if contact number for that department is different.

So- do you have a zombie plan?

tfic, that sonds crazy and i hope you get it sorted soon

Very odd.

Why do you suspect you MIL would do such a thing?
To do that she would need to know your NI number wouldn't she?

I dont know about elsewhere but in Scotland when you register a death there is also a form filled in by the registrar ( green copy I think ) that is sent to DWP, so it's not simply a question of phoning DWP and saying someone has died
Is it possible your NI number has been confused with someone else
But then how would they know to address letters to your son?
Very intriguing

I'd also go with the advice above to look up the number to call rather than just taking it from the letter, just in case.
I'd also google the phone number or a snippet of the letter to see if there is any info out there on them

Can you look back at previous genuine correspondence from DWP and compare the phone numbers? the initial award letter, for example.

sounds like a scam to me. they would take all your sons details under the guise of needing to verify that he is the correct person to receive the money then carry out identify theft and run up debts in his name.

OP, what is the number on the letter? Google it and it will come in the search engine anything about the number.

Are you Bruce Willis?

Also, change your name to onlyjesus for you have arisen [amen]

That aside, this deserves a strong letter that you copy to the publication of your choice. Given your family history, this must be distressing, and I am sorry about that. Thank God ds didn't open it.

Make bullet point notes before you make the phone call and scribble down as much of their hot air as you can (and follow it up, if poss, with an email, always better to have a written record.)

I think swearing is allowed though. The fuckers.

Ex DWP here. This is going is either going to be sorted quickly as someone will refer to necessary level immediately or its going to be a nightmare.

If you get any whiff of nightmare get your MP involved asap.