How can they do this?

I was misled then Luckygirl In all the trauma of moving my H into care, it had never occurred to me to notify DWP, when I did realise I rang them and was cross questioned quite sternly as to why I hadn’t notified them.
When I explained they decided not to fine me as they said they were entitled to and I had to repay from the day he went in.
I totally agree that it should be continued to be paid, after all it is to help their situation.
I think it was about £330 , this would help toward fees.

they decided not to fine me
That is just unbelievable annsixty, that they are entitled to

My mother’s AA was taken into account in the assessment and her contribution reduced in line with her SRP, AA, private pensions.

Sorry to mislead you. You were possibly overpaid during the period of your husband entering the home.

If there are any change in circumstances, one of your first calls should be to the DWP. When mum passed away, the registrar at births, deaths and marriages gave us a number to use online to cancel all public services, it worked well and saved a lot of Agro during a difficult time.

Yes, Callistemon “entitled to” is used in all letters from DWP.

Have you read your updating letter from SRP I think it may well use this wording in that. I am not in receipt of mine so cannot say and cannot remember the wording anymore since leaving the service 13 years ago.

I know, and it is presumably a legal term normally used to tell us what we are entitled to but harsh under the circumstances, telling someone in distress that they are entitled to fine them !

And - the SRP is, apparently, a benefit - not a pension as of right!

And - the DWP can claim against an estate's beneficiaries, years later, if they believe an overpayment of AA or PC was made!

Or if money has been given away to avoid fees or mimimise fees to be paid.

Yes, it is a term used “entitled to”.
Yes SRP is a benefit and included in the figures for benefits.
If the DWP believe they have overpaid a benefit or alternatively been fraudulently paid, then they can claim as it’s the public purse.
You cannot give away your money so that you become a burden on the public purse. You can however, spend money on yourself, this will ultimately bring down savings. My suggestion would be to prepurchase a funeral. I advised my parents to do this and thank goodness I did, at least we could just produce the folder and put mums wishes into effect. Spend it on yourselves. You cannot give it away.

Oh for heaven's sake annsixty - I cannot believe that the DWP gave you grief over an error made in the midst of all the trauma and sadness of placing your OH in a home. It is beyond credence that there is no sensitivity from them.

To be fair, when I rang to tell them when OH went into a NH, the man I spoke to was lovely and told me that AA would not be cancelled but suspended and if circumstances changed it could be reinstated with no problem. He also took pains to make sure I knew about any other benefits or health funding I might be entitled to - I was surprised and impressed by his kindness.

I am so sorry that you had to run the gauntlet of threats from the DWP at such a difficult time.

A friend of mine who has ovarian cancer was wrongly paid a benefit, which she had said to them she did not think she was entitled to, but they insisted she was. When they realised their error a long time later she was forced to pay back every penny.