STRAIGHT TO THE POINT
MY HUSBAND died on March 24. The day after his death, his monthly pension of £199.95 was paid into our account. Aviva has asked for this back, which I don’t understand, because the payments were in arrears, so surely my husband was due his pension up until his death?
J.T., Southend-on-Sea, Essex
AVIVA says that when your husband took out his annuity he opted for it to be set up ‘without proportion’. this meant there was no proportionate payment due to his spouse should he die between pension payments. Aviva says it is sorry to hear of your husband’s death, but it won’t budge.
I AM on a fixed energy tariff with Npower and every Monday I pay my bill of £22 at the Post Office. If it’s a bank holiday the following Monday I pay double. But I keep getting arrears letters and Npower has increased my weekly bill to £28.
B.H., Ludborough, Lincolnshire
NPOWER has apologised and reset your bills to £22. it says its system didn’t recognise the double payments and that in future you should pay on the tuesday instead.
I BOUGHT a model Jaguar car and two Lambretta scooters for £1.99 each from Atlas Editions. But they keep sending more models I haven’t ordered. I can never get through on the phone and now a debt collection agency is chasing me for £119.
A.D., Newbury, Berkshire.
When you bought the first model you signed up to a subscription to receive the firm’s whole collection. Atlas editions has agreed to stop demanding money.
MY FATHER is a self-funding resident of a nursing home. Can he give money to his children and grandchildren without the Government seeing it as deliberately avoiding paying for his own care?
S.J., Wigan, Lancashire
THIS is a grey area. government guidance on this says ‘people should be treated with dignity and be able to spend their money as they wish’, but adds that people must also ‘pay care costs they are responsible for’. if the council believes avoiding future care fees was a ‘significant motivation’ in gifting the money, it can claw it back. Age UK has a useful guide at
ageuk.org.uk.