The DWP stopped Marie’s pension when she was in hospital in Cyprus, and her local authority is now taking her to court over her council tax
An 84 year old stranded in Cyprus after becoming ill, whose pension was stopped for being out of the UK too long, is being taken to court for not paying council tax. Marie Collins, from Narborough, Norfolk, flew out to the island for a fortnight’s holiday in September. But after she developed a serious chest infection, doctors told her she was not fit to return home.
She has not received any pension payments since the beginning of November. She said she has been told this was because the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) thought she had died.
Breckland District Council is also taking her to court because they say she owes £875 in council tax. Marie was ordered to appear at Norwich Magistrates’ Court – but she remains stranded in Cyprus with no funds to get home.
A spokesperson for Breckland District Council said that they were unable to comment on individual cases. They added: “We can confirm that when we are notified that a resident’s circumstances have changed, it will trigger a reassessment of their council tax bill and their eligibility for support and discounts.
“We have a responsibility to collect council tax from all our residents and to pursue any missed payments on behalf of the public purse. However, we always take a collaborative approach with individuals and work with them to understand their individual situation.”
Marie, currently living with friends, is still awaiting clarification from the DWP regarding her pension payments. After recovering from the chest infection, she suffered a fall and has since undergone physiotherapy, but still has limited use of her hand and “no pressure” in her fingers, leaving her unable to write properly, reports the Mirror.
She stated that doctors provided letters confirming she was unfit to fly, and both local and specialist medical evidence was sent to the DWP. Despite repeated contact from Marie, her niece, South West Norfolk MP Terry Jermy, and the British Consulate in Cyprus, her payments remain suspended.
Mr Jermy expressed his commitment to assisting Marie as a “matter of priority”. “My team and I are actively supporting Marie and have been pursuing every possible way of getting this situation resolved for her as a matter of priority,” the MP said.
However, Marie said: “They have still not given me a penny after five months. This keeps going around in circles. The DWP is just making excuses. They assumed I was dead.”
The ongoing struggle has taken a toll on Marie’s physical and mental health. “I don’t know how much longer I can live going on like this,” she said.
Marie recounted spending “weeks and weeks” attempting to reach the DWP’s offices by phone, often waiting on hold for hours before being disconnected. She asked her niece in Yorkshire to intervene on her behalf, but was told that the department could not speak to her niece without power of attorney.
Marie organised the necessary documents and dispatched them via recorded delivery in early January. Although tracking confirmed its arrival, her niece was subsequently informed that the department had no record of it and remained unable to discuss the case. At one point, Marie stated she was unable to make international calls due to exhausting her mobile credit, leaving WhatsApp as her sole means of communication.
The DWP has been approached for a response.
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