to be very upset about benefit overpayment

[coffeelover3]

so don't want to give too much info here but basically I just heard that I have been overpaid benefits by 2500. I cant stop crying. The letter was so threatening, saying they will not charge me at this time but could in the future. I've done nothing wrong I've been 100% honest at all times, and given them all the documentation they have asked for on time, replied to every message, every phone call. I have to pay it back asap and I don't know how I will be able to. It will take me years. Anyone had similar experience, I feel so let down, that I'm put into the category of 'benefit fraud' now for something they must have calculated wrong.

If they can accidentally give out too much money they can accidentally accuse you of something that didn't happen. I would challenge this all the way until you have evidence.

I’ve recently been overpaid. Alerted UC immediately. They confirmed payment accurate. I Know not correct. Waited a month and then followed up again. Again UC confirmed payment correct. It’s not. They don’t understand their own system. Waiting now for a letter in the distant future suddenly telling me the money is owed to them; knowing they form for this

If I became mega rich I’d look to sue all these shitty organisations that clearly can’t run a piss up in a brewery. It’s disgusting what they put people through.

It could be their fault. Did they add the wage slips to your claim? Or not uprate your tax credits? You need to ask them what caused the overpayment first and go from there.

If a mistake has been made on your side then you can still pay back a low amount each week/month. The lowest is usually £3 a week if your on a low income or have debts.

Yes this happened to me too - I had given them all the info yet they hadn’t changed the payment, I ended up oweing £4500 and my last payment is tomorrow !

@VampirinaHauntley if you have them all the wage slips, within two weeks of the change and they didn’t act on it, that’s an official error. You can ask for it to be written off. (They may say ‘didn’t you expect your benefit to decrease? and receive new award letters/online update?)
It would then depend if you had exceptional reasons as to why you didn’t ‘expect’ an award to end or decrease.

An overpayment might sound scary but it's really nothing to fret about. You won't have to pay it back all at once. Call the number on the letter they sent and tell them you can only afford to pay it back at £20 a week or whatever.

Quite a few I know have been slapped with “overpayment” notices for tax credits this year where they’ve been furloughed or hours reduced. They are all appealing!