Pensioner Stranded in Cyprus and Wrongly Declared Dead Now Faces Court Over Council Tax
An 84-year-old British woman is embroiled in a distressing legal battle over unpaid council tax while stranded in Cyprus, after the Department for Work and Pensions mistakenly recorded her as deceased, halting her pension payments.
Marie Collins, from Narborough, Norfolk, travelled to the island for a two-week holiday in September. However, she developed a severe chest infection that left her unfit to fly home, marooning her overseas.
Financial Crisis and Bureaucratic Errors
Her financial troubles began in early November when her pension payments abruptly ceased. The DWP later informed her that the payments had stopped because they had erroneously marked her as dead, a claim she disputes vehemently.
Compounding her plight, Breckland District Council is pursuing her for £875 in alleged unpaid council tax. Ms Collins argues that her age and disability should exempt her from such payments, questioning the council's demands.
She was scheduled to appear at Norwich Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, but remains unable to return to the UK due to her lack of funds, leaving her in a precarious limbo.
Health Struggles and Communication Breakdown
After recovering from the chest infection, Ms Collins suffered a fall and has since undergone physiotherapy. She still has limited use of her hand and "no pressure" in her fingers, rendering her unable to write properly.
Doctors provided letters confirming she was not fit to fly, and both local and specialist medical evidence was sent to the DWP. Despite this, her pension payments remain suspended.
The DWP has been repeatedly contacted by Ms Collins, her niece, South West Norfolk MP Terry Jermy, and the British Consulate in Cyprus, but the issue persists.
Frustration and Desperation
Ms Collins expressed her frustration, stating, "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."
She spent "weeks and weeks" trying to contact the DWP's offices by phone, often waiting on hold for hours before being cut off. At one point, she ran out of mobile credit, leaving WhatsApp as her only means of communication.
Her niece in Yorkshire attempted to intervene, but was told the department could not discuss the case without power of attorney. Ms Collins arranged the paperwork and sent it by recorded delivery in early January, but the DWP later claimed no record of it.
Impact on Well-being and Official Responses
The ongoing battle has taken a severe toll on her physical and mental health. She lamented, "I don't know how much longer I can live going on like this."
A spokesperson for Breckland District Council said they were unable to comment on individual cases, but noted, "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."
They added, "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."
MP Terry Jermy said he is trying to help Ms Collins as a "matter of priority," with his team actively supporting her and pursuing every possible resolution.
Ms Collins, who is staying with friends in Cyprus, continues to wait for the DWP to clarify her pension situation, as her ordeal stretches into its fifth month with no end in sight.
