Half a billion in pensions to dead people

BUNGLING civil servants overpaid £511.8 million in state pensions and pension credits to dead recipients, and failed to claw back £256.8m of it over the past five years.

- Tony Whitfield

Figures show that a record £159.2m was overpaid last year, with £86m never recouped, more than double the previous year's loss of £38m from £91.1m overpaid.

There is no legal obligation for relatives to return overpaid payments, with officials relying on people voluntarily agreeing to it.