Bombshell phone call for MissOops whilst moving house

Even when the fault is at their end you still have to pay it back. A friend of mine with ovarian cancer was receiving Attendance Allowance - she got back to them and said they were paying it at too high a rate; they disagreed. When they later realised their error and that she was right, she had to pay it all back.

www.gov.uk/benefit-overpayments/how-to-make-a-repayment

If you do not pay back the money
If you do not pay back the money or contact the DWP Debt Management contact centre, they may pass your case to an independent debt collector.

You’ll get a letter to tell you about this.

If your case is passed to a debt collector, the letter will be from one of the following debt collection agencies:

Advantis
BPO Collectionshttps://www.gov.uk/benefit-overpayments/how-to-make-a-repayment
CCS Collect
Moorcroft
Past Due Credit
Resolve Call
Shakespeare Martineau

So yes, the DW&P do use debt collecters!
08007310469 for DW&P

I remember, years ago, having to pay back £23 a month tax credits for 3 years ....it seemed so unfair when it was HMRC fault....thats good that you are able to help her out

I was overpaid for working families TAx credit and I’m now paying back £14.52 a month for the next two years..

Cabbie she has sent an email asking for lower repayments. Unable to contact them over the phone.

Can she not negotiate a more affordable rate of repayments? Though of course that would last longer.

Thank you for the update Ooopsadaisy I’m pleased it’s not too bad, but still incompetent.

Repayment is £60 per month, methinks we will have do do her grocery shopping for her for a few months.

Cabbie yes, we can prove that it’s their error but there’s no point, the money has to be repaid.

Glad it us not as bad as she thought.

I didn't see your post back in January Oopsadaisy, best wishes to your daughter on them accepting a repayment plan.

When my husband died and I got part of his pension, his company didn't tax me properly, it took me three years to get it sorted.

So glad it is not as bad as feared. But a mess, nevertheless.

Just a quick update, the person who told MissOops that she had been seriously overpaid is no longer with the department that told her. The person who conducted her first interview to establish her benefits has also moved on.
She has been overpaid on the bedroom allowance for 2 years, the amount of the overpayment is £3k, bad enough but not as bad as we thought.
As she has kept all of the copies of the forms that she filled in 2 years ago, which clearly states the property details she was in at the time, she is going to appeal, just out of principal as she knows that she will have to pay the money back, in fact they will deduct it from her payments.
It could have been worse! Thanks for all the helpful comments. But as a quickie, after an initial interview with the Benefits office, all forms to be filled in and all communications are now online in a ‘Journal’ no telephone calls and definitely no face to face any more, no emails either, all done via the phone/internet. That’s progress for ya!

Thanks rafichagran TBH I don’t know exactly what she is on, it all sounds complicated.

Oops thanks for clarifying that. She is on UC so it makes sense now. I was wondering if she was on a legacy based benefit. I hope it is resolved quickly and your daughter agrees a affordable amount to pay back. I wish your daughter all the best.

rafichagran no emails, telephone and journal, which is something on her phone, I didn’t have my glasses on so I don’t know what was said.
It’s a waiting game at the moment , they said the letter would be sent out today.

I m still not sure this is genuine call the CAB let them find out for you

I dont know if OP daughter is on UC, for the amount, it is not contributory JSA, but the rules as far as I am aware for legacy customers are different if they are income related.

I have no experience of this but i just wanted to say to you that I so hope that all this nightmare is soon sorted out for your daughter.

rafichagran

I think this is a scam, DWP would never give her details to a debt collector, they do have a overpayments department though. Also they would need to find out if it is official error. She would also have a acknowledgement if she filled in forms were her change of circumstances.

Yes they do pass on debts to collection agencies after they have exhausted all other options for repayment - but they will warn claimants that it’s an option. Regardless of whether it’s official error, it would still have to be paid back.

Oopsadaisy1

Calistemon my thought exactly, let’s hope the fault is at their end.
Maybe it’s all a mistake and she doesn’t owe anything……….I say hopefully.
We will be asking for proof of the error.

Sadly it doesn’t matter whether it’s their fault or not, she will still have to pay it back. And DWP can and do pass on debts to collection agencies, but only where a claimant has failed to contact them to make suitable repayment arrangements. DWP must give you a breakdown of the debt and how it has accrued. They may contact you by letter, but since Covid they are doing a lot of contact by phone. My advice is to contact them as soon as possible and ask for a breakdown of the debt and a repayment plan. DWP can go back quite a long time historically and in some cases even when benefit has ceased to be paid, so it really doesn’t sound like a scam, but to be sure, go to gov.uk and get the relevant phone number from the listings there to be sure you’re talking to the right people, and have your NI number to hand when you ring.

It does sound a bit strange and £10,000 + is a lot of benefits to be paid back. And is that right? She must get a lot of benefits. Definitely check the phone number on the website. Even a letter can be a scam.

Please also check the DWP number and call them and speak to someone. If she calls the number given it could be the scammers.
You are saying about emails, is it emails or is she communicating via her journal if she us on UC.

I think this is a scam, DWP would never give her details to a debt collector, they do have a overpayments department though. Also they would need to find out if it is official error. She would also have a acknowledgement if she filled in forms were her change of circumstances.

This is a website specifically advising on benefits overpayments Oops

www.turn2us.org.uk/Benefit-guides/Benefits-Overpayment/Will-I-have-to-repay-the-overpayment

What if I did not misrepresent or fail to disclose?
If the benefits office decides that the overpayment was not caused by your misrepresentation or failure to disclose, the overpayment will not be recoverable and you cannot be made to repay it.
^No civil penalty can be imposed if the overpayment is not recoverable.

However, even if an overpayment is not recoverable, the benefits office may ask in their letter whether you want to pay it back anyway. If this happens, seek advice from a benefits adviser. You can use our Find an Adviser tool to find a local one.