about this housing benefit overpayment..........

[FAQtothefuture]

I've been overpaid by HB (I was expecting that to happen).

They've (finally) got round to sending me the letter saying how much they've overpaid me by.

They reckon £132.69 (one weeks worth).

However, by my calculations it's more like £189

The letter "crossed" paths with my last HB payment (some of which they definitely owed me).

They paid me the full 4 weeks worth in that payment and I've been hanging onto it in case they asked for some of it back as wasn't sure how much they'd want back.

Options are:

1. Go and pay them the £189 I'm sure I owe them (I sat down and worked out how much they've given me, and how many weeks I've been entitled to it for) and if that's wrong then just wait for them to give it back (haha)

1. Go and pay the £132 and hang onto £60 of the remaining money incase they ask for it back at a later stage

1. Go and pay the £132 and spend the £60 along wit the rest of the HB that is definitely still mine.

I'm thinking 1 or 2 is the better option (for obvious reasons )

No. 2.

Are you sure you have worked it out properly? I would do No2 personally.

No. 2

I would ask them to go through their calculations with you to show how they've come to the amount they have. It may be something you have overlooked in how they work it out, or a difference in the dates they are working from. Asking won't do any harm - get a receipt from your visit and if they write again to say they've made a mistake you can prove that you questioned it in the first place... and keep the £60 quid until you know it is safe to spend it!

yes I'm sure I have - the started my claim on the 30th January, the last date they said they'd pay was the 26th June it's been the same amount for all of those weeks. And the amount they've paid me is just over £188 more than the number of weeks I was entitled to.

oh well - general consensus seems to be pay the £132 and hang onto the £60

I'm just getting a bit fed up of having money in my account that I can't spend (in total had nearly £700 in my account that I didn't know if I could spend or not!) - thankfully most of that now been resolved - either paid back as they were overpayments, or kepts as they've said I can lol.

2 definitely.

Is there a limit on how far in the future they can come back to you and say 'we made a mistake in 2009'?

Can you pay it and ask them to issue a statement saying 'as of [date] FAQ does not owe us any money and we do not owe her any money'

TA - I don't think there's a limit (we are talking benefits here )

Option 2.

I would put a time limit on it... say 6 months or a year and then after that period I would spend it on a treat like a family day out.

option 2
one will backfire and 3 could end in disaster

so how long do I hang onto the £60 before I spend it??? 6 months? a year?

what's the longest anyone has ever been "chased" for overpayments on benefits?

That's why you need a 'case closed' sort of letter. I take it you are still receiving housing benefit, if you were stopping then it would be easier to get a letter saying 'our dealings with you are done'.

no I'm no longer getting housing benefit.

DH and I are however waiting for our joint council tax benefit claim to be processed.