Good timing

As many of you know, Chris died on 20 January. Yesterday I emptied our post box in town and found we had both received 'Proof of Life' demands from DWP in UK. This is a new thing for people who live outside UK but are in receipt of UK pensions. I have two pensions: state and teachers'; and the latter sends me a similar proof of life form every five years. However the DWP form is new, no doubt part of a catch the fraudsters and thus save money initiative. The form for my teachers' pension could be witnessed by anyone along the lines of a passport application form. The DWP form lists the people who can witness and not only must they sign off they must also provide an 'official stamp'. None of this is a problem for me, my bank manager will do it and I will go and see her to get it done on Friday. But poor Chris couldn't have signed it himself, let alone made it to the bank for the 'sign in presence of witness' procedure. And whilst we have a very friendly bank manager, I doubt she would have come out to thenhouse bearing the bank's stamp! The forms are dated 10 January and we have eight weeks to return them. He timed his departure well. I thought I'd let you all know about this in case anyone else is in a similar situation - Sasha?

[Amilazy]

Proof of life forms are used by DWP in UK if not in receipt of state pension but in receipt of DLA about every 5 years. The reason for having Power of Attorney for finance it saves problems with signatures DWP accepts copy of POA unlike bank who want actual document. Military pensions also check but irregular and random is nothing for 10 yr then twice in 3 yr.

Hope you are adapting to Chris departure. Best wishes Tim

[Hidden in reply to Amilazy]

Thanks Tim. I am doing well. Sleeping loads at night and taking it easy during the day. I am working on academic translation again but have yet to recover powers of concentration I had prior to last couple of years of being C's carer when one ear was always on alert for him, and toing and froing from desk meant total concentration was impossible. I am hoping it will return in due course. We never had POA because we never needed it as C's only 'asset' was his state pension and, once he could no longer use the cash machine, I just used his card. Interestingly neither the DWP's letter, nor the accompanying 'explanatory leaflet' mentions POA. Given we are all old people you'd think they would. Needless to say this is now a hot topic on all the ex pat forums here.

[Amilazy in reply to Hidden]

Glad to hear you are catching up on sleep at last. Academic translation sounds interesting what specialisation or general articles, no use for me as only languages dyslexic English and Maths with smattering of phrases in odd languages along lines of" x pints of beer/glass of wine" and " my friend will pay". So impressed with your skill.

Best wishes for rediscovering your life. Tim

[Heady in reply to Amilazy]

Hey Tim, I'm fluent in lots of languages, as long as you can get a glass of vino, what more do you need to know?????

Lots of love

Heady

[abirke in reply to Heady]

You guys make me laugh. I can read Mexican Spanish and almost translate it....it takes me about as long (to read in English) in any novel I undertake....my ADHD little mind wanders away from the main character and all of a sudden, I haven't picked up that book in years....... i bueno, Gracias a Dios por Google!

Hahahaha

AVB