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DORIEN'S PLEA FOR THE GRIEVING

COMPASSION CALL: Dorien

Monday March 8,2010

By Maisha Frost

Comment Speech Bubble Have your say(2)

A WIDOWER is calling for the strict rules governing bereavement allowances to be relaxed - so grief-stricken spouses and partners struggling with the benefit application forms don’t lose out and are given more time to claim.

Bitter experience has prompted Dorien Williams’ battle for what he regards should be a more compassionate deal.

The 61-year-old from Cardiff lost his wife Gillian in November 2008. After many bouts of ill health she took her own life. The couple had been together for 38 years and Dorien, a manager for a healthcare charity, was devastated.

He learned about the bereavement benefits when he registered Gillian’s death and found his late wife’s national insurance contributions were enough to qualify for him receiving the £2,000 one-off lump sum bereavement payment, the updated version of the old widow’s payment.

He filled in the forms for this which included an application for an additional, related, benefit, known as the bereavement allowance, formerly called the widow’s pension. This is also dependent on national insurance contributions and paid weekly for 52 weeks following the death.

But while the time limit for claiming a bereavement payment has now been extended to a year, the rules are tighter for the allowance. Claims for this can only be backdated three months, so if the bereaved delay they could lose many of the weekly payments, which total £95.25 for the standard rate.

The trauma Dorien experienced, made worse by extra problems such as hold-ups in the coroner issuing the correct death certificate and paperwork getting lost, meant there were delays in his case. When his allowance forms were finally assessed, the deductions to his benefit amounted to £1,600.

“Of course that money would have been welcome, but it is more unfairness,” he said. “While there are technical exemptions for delayed claims so people don’t lose benefit, the main emotional one - being upset because of a bereavement - is not one of them. I don’t think the policy-makers really thought through how people react in such circumstances.

“Yet most people who have lost a loved one will tell you one of the hardest things is getting in a state of mind where you can cope with the paperwork. I didn’t need a special doctor’s certificate, the shock and my reaction was natural.

“Nor am I pleading extraordinary circumstances, no matter how a wife, husband or partner dies it is a terrible blow to the one left behind. I knew what was happening to me, that I would have ups and downs and would come through it. I would like to see that recognised by the state and time allowed for backdating extended to 12 months so it’s in line with the bereavement payment. That would make sense. It might mean more claims money were paid out, but it would send a very positive signal.”

Dorien intends to lobby for a rule change because he is convinced others have lost out for the same reasons as himself.

But he will have quite a task, as the Department for Work and Pensions responded to his points last week saying: “Currently each year we make around 22,000 awards of bereavement allowance, paid for 52 weeks. The allowance is payable to those without dependant children, to ensure that support is provided throughout a period of adjustment.

However we do not believe that it would be right to assume a lifetime of dependency for people of working age and have no present plans to make changes to this.”

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MORE DELAYS IN THE SYSTEM

12.03.10, 10:45pm

I would add further "gotchas" to claiming benefits especially at the present time when the civil service is taking strike actions. I would suggest that anyone claiming benefits use recorded or proof of delivery for ALL claims to the DWP or Benefits offices as their current delays in processing even state pensions can be in excess of 6 months before you see your pension. If they obfuscate and claim never having received a claim form you need that proof of delivery to fight back and always, always try to keep a copy of what you send them and keep originals if possible. I speak from bitter experience over my state pension claim I'm still waiting for.

• Posted by: Costa_Blanca_Mike • Report Comment

SO ??? WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THIS CASE ?

12.03.10, 10:29pm

Will Dorien Williams ACTUALLY receive the full payment ?
Considering the delays were not his fault.

WHY is there such a restrictive time limit on the submittal of the claims forms ?

WHY does not the coroner's office staff automatically fill in ... and SUBMIT ... these forms for ALL bereaved people ?

Those bereaved people who are obviously not in the best of lucid mental health immediately after losing their partner.

What a **** government we all have inherited.

• Posted by: call_me_cynical • Report Comment