Anyone dealt with the DWP?

[Imsosorryalan75]

My father died last year and I've been sorting things out. The DWP contacted me asking for bank statements for a 5 year period, when he was alive, 13 years ago! They say he may have been overpaid income related benefits.
I'm quietly worried as looking at his statements there are a couple of cash deposits of 1-2k. I can't explain them but I know he gave some money to my sister. We are planning to sell his house and use the profits to pay our debts but now I'm worried we may have to pay everything back and won't be left with much.
How much can I fight this? Should I?

Was he in receipt of pension credits or anything? He may have gone over the savings threshold or something without realising ? if he has an overpayment then you will need to pay it back before using his assets to pay your debts I'm afraid.

This is really common I was told by a tax charity. When income is noted at the end they then check this aspect and recoup the Money as this is all to common among the elederly . I am not sure legallyhiw far the can claim back with tax it was 4 tax years from date of death when it wasn’t fraud.

Not pension credits but income support for the last 5 years of his career, until he retired.

Can they actually go back that far?

I’d be tempted to say “it was 13 years ago and I don’t have that information”.

I thought the same but apparently they can ask for bank statements which are kept for up to 6 years ago. This gives them the statements towards the end of the period they're asking for but not all.