repayment of benefits

[emmie]

has anyone had to repay benefits due to overpayments, or can advise what you need to do, apart from see Citizens Advice Bureau. Has anyone had the DWP overturn their decisions. This was a bolt from the blue, and it's not an inconsiderable sum, so any help, advice would be much appreciated.

[albaqwerty]

If you are still in receipt of benefits, they can deduct a reasonable amount from that. I think there is a limit they can take but cannot be certain. For example, if your weekly benefit is 60 pounds, they can deduct possibly 5 -10 pounds.

[EDDIE51]

The benefit agency will recover the money by reducing your payments.
Or they will agree weekly/monthly repayments.
What type of benefit is it ? and how much. They have to take your financial situation into account when deciding how much the repayments are.
There are people who owe thousands but only have to repay a £ or so a week.

[emmie]

Alba, thank you, i will have to go to CAB first thing today to see what they say, the matter goes back quite a long way, i hope they can help. it's been a really poor time so far, i lost my purse or it was stolen recently which was horrible, my debit card, driving licence gone and sundry bit and pieces, and the money too, and no idea where. I reported it to the bank last Sunday and they got me out a new debit card by Tuesday which was very good. But the rest of the things are now lost.

[emmie]

Eddie, it's not thousands, but into the seven hundreds. If i can get them to take the money off in small chunks it won't hurt so much..

[EDDIE51]

albaqwerty, if you only had £60 benefit a week they would not be able to take anywhere near £5 or £10, more like 50p to £1 a week.

[cockatiel]

My friend claimed pension credit for a time when she had an operation and was unable to work for a few months.When she returned to work she told them she didn't need the money but they still went on paying it.Now one year later they say they have to reclaim any money overpaid by taking all but 4.00 of her state pension for 1 year(200.00 a month}.I don't think this is fair as if she wanted to retire now she would have nothing to live on.At 69 she is thankful that she is able to work a few more months

[emmie]

It will be my word against theirs that i told them about a slight change some years ago to my income, thus the demand for this money. I have nothing in writing either, but i was going through some very bad things at that time, so i can only tell them what i believe i did.

[albaqwerty]

Oooh Em, we were burgled about 10 years ago, the worst was the loss of my purse.

I hope the CAB can help (they are good)

[emmie]

Alba, that's the third time i have lost or had it nicked, so not happy. Admittedly that was over a 25 year period but it's just so inconvenient...

[EDDIE51]

em10 don't worry too much, I know someone who was overpaid £6000 housing benefit. They asked for £9 a week repayment but she said she could not afford that so it is now £1.50 a week. Once you have a repayment plan in place they can not take any other action. If you owe £700 I would not agree to more than £1 or £2 a week. Get the CAB to double check as well , my son and daughter were told they had been overpaid by £7000 , when the CAB checked the figures it was really less than £1000 .

[emmie]

Eddie, Alba, invaluable advice so thank you very much. I think there may be another benefit dept that asks for money back, will see.

[EDDIE51]

em10are you saying they are asking for repayments going back 25 years ? I am sure there is a time limit, 7 years I think, they can not ask for cash back that had been owing for more than the time limit. Apart from inland revenue they can go back any number of years for unpaid tax.

[albaqwerty]

The DWP take a tenner a week off Mr Alba's benefit, but I suppose it depends on what type of benefit and what the description of the repayment is.

[emmie]

it's from 2006, i have a tiny pension, and i mean tiny, works out less than 2 quid a week, and though i am sure i told the agency about it at the time, they say no, and now have landed me with over 700 quid in repayments.

[emmie]

what i don't get is that firstly the Inland Revenue always send me letters about tax codes, ok but this pension is non taxable, and does not change, it's a fixed sum paid every six months, so not each week, so why would the benefits agency not picked up on that, to do with tax codes. Will see the CAB at any rate, and see.

[ojread2]

But £2 pw over 6 years is well under £700

Make sure you appeal and get the figures checked
GL!

[emmie]

OJread, the letter i received says that it gives an explanation, but it doesn't anywhere. That is why I am off to the CAB this morning, but thought someone on here would know, so many thanks once again.

[EDDIE51]

As ojread says £2 a week for 6 years is only £624 total so the overpayment can not be £700 ( more like £70 or less ,) there is a mistake somewhere . Get checked , I think they may well write it off if you appeal

[emmie]

IJ, Eddie i hope so, it's very worrying, what with the loss of my purse recently and any number of health issues this has come at the worse possible time.

[ojread2]

let us know how you get on
It seems bizarre that they are asking for over £700 when the total is £624