DWP overpayment

[Walkingdead11]

So my dad has been overpayed £6,000 since 2004 for pension credit. He was unaware that you cannot claim it if you get a private pension which he does. He's not all there tbh but nothing diagnosed. The DWP asked for information in 2013 which he says his bank sent the information (when Scottish widows operated in Lloyds bank)......DWP say they never received anything and continued to pay the pension credit till now??????? What to do???

Anyone??

A similar thing happened to my father in law. He appealed but died before the final outcome. My DH and I used solicitors to deal with the DWP after my FIL died. Unfortunately, we had to pay back the overpayment (£13,000!!) from his estate; as although they could see it was a genuine mistake on his part, the money shouldn't have been paid to him.
The £13,000 sounds a lot but it was an overpayment of just under £2 a week but it had been happening for 14 years. Why they don't check sooner I don't know.
I don't expect that's what you wanted to hear but if the DWP can prove they are owed the money, they will take it somehow. I think they were in the process of working out a repayment plan with my FIL just before he died. They wanted the whole amount in one go after his death.

Same thing happened with my mum - she had to pay it back even though they admitted it was their fault. She didn't have to pay it all back at once . She pays it back monthly.

It's so wrong! He has worked ALL his life and as far as I'm concerned from 2013 it is THEIR fault! Going to go to CAB tomorrow.

It does seem wrong. My FIL wasn't wealthy, he was unwell and this whole thing really upset him. The DWP weren't sympathetic at all. They are doing this to elderly people who haven't done anything wrong deliberately. Their letters were threatening I felt. I appreciate overpayments shouldn't happen but there are ways to go about sorting mistakes out.
I hope the CAB can help you. Good luck.

Very threatening letters with no empathy for elderly people who simply do not operate very well anymore. Shocking treatment but can't say I'm too surprised with present government!

Same thing happened to my sister, she gets £50 a month pension from an ex employer before she left due to ill health.
She didn’t realise that YOU have to inform DWP if you receive pension on benefits. She was on then sick benefit. Before ESA.

She owed £5000, only on benefits she couldn’t pay it back all at once
So pays it fortnightly and there always on the phone asking for more to be paid off.

I think there error there fault. There so slow at sorting other things but very quick to ask for it back