Need to pay back benefits

[soloedition]

Hello, this is a bit of a long story so I’ll try and condense it! I lost my job in May last year. June I signed on for universal credit (first time in my life!) in September I started a year long university course. Informed my work coach who said to bring in all my student finance paperwork and they’d see if I was still entitled to anything etc.. brought that in to my next appointment and I was seen be another work coach who said to bring it in next time as she wasn’t familiar and was new. Brought it in the month after and they guy informed me it was fine and deductions come off automatically and something to do with NI number. I’ve never been on benefits and wasn’t getting a full student loan so I assumed this was correct. Incidentally, I then cancelled my claim in November as I got a part time job which would have taken me above the threshold anyway . In December, after talking to a tutor, benefits came up in the conversation and I realised I shouldn’t have been entitled to anything from September. I got payments in September, October, November totalling £951.75. I rang UC immediately explained the mistake and advised I was happy to pay everything back. They took all the details as my claim had closed and said someone would call me back. Hadn’t heard anything so chased this up a few weeks later and got told the same again. By January I’d still not heard anything so rang again.

All in all I’ve rang the helpline 10 times since December, sent 5 recorded delivery letters and literally no one is doing a thing. I’ve saved up the amount I was overpaid since starting full time work again but no one seems to be able to arrange me paying this back despite countless amounts of communication.

This whole error came about because I was misadvised by work coaches but I feel bad that I’ve taken money (albeit, unintentionally!) that could help someone else. I’m also really worried if I don’t get this paid back I could get accused of benefit fraud somewhere down the line!

It takes forever to get through on the phone and no one replies to my letters- Would I be unreasonable to leave it until they contact me? Or will that get me into trouble? I’m not sure what to do for the best but I feel awful about the whole situation!

It is possible to repay a benefit overpayment by online banking. The problem is, because they've not officially told you what you owe, they probably won't know what to do with your payment.

Alternatively, put the money in a separate account and keep all your documentation/ proof of contacts etc in a safe place. Sometimes you just have to wait for the system to catch up.

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

YANBU. If you've got dates and times you called then that's all you can do. I'd leave it now tbh, you've chased enough.

You having the money won't have deprived anyone else, so don't fret about that. When it comes to basic benefits, there isn't a finite pot where people who are too slow lose out.

As long as you keep the money safe, you'll be fine to wait until they get in touch. It's not even going to be on their radar until all the current changes in entitlements due to covid have ended and the turmoil caused by them ending has passed as well. I suspect it'll be at least another year myself.

You’ve made an effort to contact them, just leave it now. They’ll contact you if it’s incorrect. You might not owe them anything as it’s usually looked at over the financial year. They might of also wiped it off as you cancelled the claim after a very short period of time

First of all, you need to be applauded for your honesty and morality. Not many people would be so diligent as you are so that needs to be acknowledged

I think that what @Hayeahnobut advises sounds like good advice. Be sure to keep a record of your attempts to rectify so at least when it is discovered, you won’t be charged extra.

They'll contact you at the end of the tax year, so be around March or April, I'd keep it separate just in case. There might just be a chance you were entitled to the money though, slim chance but possible

I don't understand why you are not entitled to anything? If you are unemployed I mean