Travel, getting ESA, PIP, HB back

Hi all, not written in a long time, but been on occasionally to read.

Complicated situation. Hope someone might know something.

I had ESA SG, PIP standard/standard, HB, and Enhanced and Severe DPs.

I flew to Canada March 16 because my Mum was given weeks to live. She died April 11. By then flights had stopped, so I had to stay in Canada (in Mum's house - helped bro sort through house, put it up for sale, etc.). I informed DWP and my benefits continued.

My airline began flying again in July, but when I called to get a new ticket back they said I wasn't eligible because the original ticket had been purchased using air miles (my Mum's). They also wouldn't give me a cash refund. They would return the air miles, but with my Mum gone her account had closed down, so that wasn't possible. I continued arguing with them for a couple of months, after seeking advice from a couple of places. Turns out the airline was making things v difficult for quite a few customers. I didn't have the money to buy a return ticket, the house stuff wasn't done, I wasn't Kern on being exposed to Covid by flying anyway, and the Covid situation here was much better than in the UK.

In August the airline announced that it is being taken over by another airline, which will complete in January. They said I'd have to continue my attempts to get a ticket/refund with the new airline, but only after January. Sigh.

I could have borrowed money to buy a new ticket at that point, but the house was about to go on the market, and the executor said that I'd receive half the sale cost (-fees, etc.) the day after the buyer took ownership. Covid was also getting worse in the UK, so I decided to wait. At this point my benefits had all stopped, and HB had said they'd seek repayment back to early June.

The last two weeks have been extremely difficult, and my relationship with the executor, previously good, has broken down, severely. It turns out the executor was flying by the seat of their pants rather than making sure they were doing it properly. The estate is messed up, and they may have done something illegal. 5 days before I was expecting the house money, I was told that now we'd have to hand the estate over to a professional, and we wouldn't get the money until between 4 and 18 months from now. Eek! The house changed hands 5 days later and I'm now in a hotel, paying with borrowed money.

With the UK lockdown coming in tomorrow, I thought I should wait until at least then to buy a ticket.

Whenever I manage to get back, I'm now financially screwed. No money, no income, and increasing debts. What can I do about benefits? Were they suspended or stopped this summer? Can I reclaim them when I get back, or will I have to apply again? I'm incredibly stressed out and I don't know what to do.

Thanks.