And it seems like no one is interested in giving any?
Apologies in advance, this may be a bit long, all amounts given are approximate for privacy reasons.
I recently received a letter from the DWP stating that I owed in excess of £8000 pounds and they were now going to do an attachment to earnings to recover this. This was the first time I'd been made aware of this outstanding debt, I honestly had no idea this was even owed let alone how it had gotten to this stage already.
Several frantic phone calls later and I've managed to ascertain that £6500 of it relates to a UC claim I made during covid when I wasn't working and the rest is overpaid tax credits amounts from 4 separate years going back as far as 2011.
I was definitely entitled to the UC when I claimed. I think the problem has come about because when I claimed they asked for a copy of my tenancy agreement and I didn't have one. When I asked if anything else would suffice as proof of my housing costs I was told rent receipts would be sufficient but when I provided this they said they weren't good enough and cancelled the claim. I started a new claim, provided proof in the form of a letter from my landlady and this was accepted. Obviously this 'overpayment' is due to the claim being cancelled but this was/is a mistake which was rectified shortly afterwards.
I have since moved and don't have the letter anymore but they should in theory still have a copy on their system.
Every time I phone them and explain the situation I get told something different. I get told to phone a different department, or told I will receive a phone call from an advisor which I never get, then I get a note on my journal saying that they can't help because it's related to tax credits (which is isn't, at least the majority isn't). I was told I can do a mandatory reconsideration form but when I look it up it says that only applies up to a month after the decision was made and I have no idea when that was but the claim it relates to was last year.
I'm getting so frustrated and upset because to pay back a debt of this size will absolutely financially cripple me and take years and years to pay off. I have gone through serious money issues years ago and even went through a form of insolvency in an attempt to get back to a normal credit rating. I've been so so careful with my money since then, paid everything I owe on time and have tried so hard to be financially responsible so I don't get into debt again. I'm so close to achieving that and now it's all about to be thrown away. Honestly the thought of being plunged so far back into debt is making me suicidal. I absolutely cannot cope with the thought of being so destitute again. I'm crying all the time and not sleeping well.
I just don't know what to do. No one seems to care or want to help at all. Is there anything else I can try to get this reduced? Tia.