Collect the pension Every month is essential for many retirees, especially when it is their main source of income to meet daily expenses. However, an error by the Administration can leave a person without that money and cause problems that are difficult to solve. This is exactly what has happened to an 84-year-old retiree in the United Kingdom, who has not received her pension for months because the Government mistakenly declared her dead and now the City Council is demanding more than 1,000 euros in municipal taxes.
As collected from Independentthe elderly woman had traveled to Cyprus in September for a two-week vacation. However, during his stay he suffered a serious lung infection that prevented him from taking the plane back home and he had to stay on the island until he recovered.
A few months later, in early November, she stopped receiving her pension payments and discovered that the British Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) had registered her as deceased. Added to this was that the City Council demanded 875 pounds (about 1,006 euros) from her for municipal taxes that, according to her, she has no obligation to pay due to her age and disability.
He hasn’t received his pension for months because the Administration thought he had died
After discovering that she had stopped receiving her pension money, while she was still in Cyprus staying with friends, she contacted the Department for Work and Pensions, where she was told that payments had been suspended because she was listed as deceased in the Administration’s records, even though she was still alive.
Since then, the retiree has tried to demonstrate her situation and get her pension paid again. In fact, the doctors who treated her in Cyprus prepared several reports to confirm that she was not fit to travel and sent them to the British authorities.
Although he managed to recover from the lung infection, he later suffered a fall that caused him new health problems. The woman has needed physical therapy and still has difficulty moving one hand and writing normally.
Her niece also tried to help her solve the problem, but the officials explained that they could not provide her with information without a power of attorney. The retiree prepared the documents and sent them by certified mail, although they later informed her that they had no evidence of having received them, despite the fact that tracking the shipment confirmed its delivery.
The woman claimed that she had spent weeks trying to contact the Administration by phone, waiting for hours before the calls were cut off. There was even a time when he ran out of credit to call from abroad and could only communicate via WhatsApp.
The City Council demands more than 1,000 euros in taxes while he still does not collect
Added to the problems with his pension is now a claim from the City Council, which requires him to pay 875 pounds (about 1,006 euros) in supposedly outstanding municipal taxes.
However, the retiree assures that she has no obligation to pay these amounts due to her age and disability, so she does not understand why the authorities are demanding the money from her.
“If I don’t meet the requirements to pay, how does the City Council demand payment of the municipal tax?” asked the woman, who also faces legal proceedings for this debt.
In fact, he was scheduled to appear before Norwich Magistrates’ Court, but is still unable to return to the United Kingdom due to his health problems and lack of money.
The City Council explained that they could not comment on particular cases, although they pointed out that when a neighbor’s circumstances change, their situation is reviewed to determine if they are entitled to aid or tax discounts.
Meanwhile, the retiree continues to try to recover her pension with the help of her niece, the British Consulate in Cyprus and MP Terry Jermy, who said he was working to solve the problem as soon as possible.
One of the woman’s main complaints is that, despite all the efforts made, she still does not receive the money she needs to support herself while she remains outside her country.
“After five months, they still haven’t given me a cent. There’s no end to this. The Department for Work and Pensions is just making excuses. They assumed I was dead,” she lamented.
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The situation is also affecting her health, to the point that the retiree assured that she no longer knows how much longer she will be able to continue living like this while she waits for the Administration to correct the error and pay her pension again.