I owe UC a lot of money by recieving housing benefit I didn’t realise I was still getting

[Sunshine225]

So i was so poorly during my pregnancy with Hyperemisis. Then when I had my daughter I had a c section and have been struggling with my mental health due to illness during pregnancy and then continuing to have PPD. I didn’t realise I hadn’t changed my address (moved out January this year) and have been getting housing benefit for my old rented property. I have moved in with the father of my child’s dad as I had nowhere else to go and now I’m scared I’m going to get prosecuted for fraud. I have found this overpayment out and going to inform them and give them all the evidence to prove I didn’t realise and I’m so worried about the outcome. Has this happened to anyone else?

But you were able to update them on the birth of the child, to get money for 2 kids. Just couldn’t tell them you’d moved. Have you told them you’re no longer single so need to make a joint claim?

This is why i always advice people to have their rent paid directly to the landlord,theirs no temptation to spend it then.Most people who are in debt with housing benefit are always the ones who have the housing benefit paid into their own bank account,Surely when you moved out you told the landlord which in turn meant you would have informed housing benefit.Wether you checked your statements or not you must have realised you were spending more money if you have now spent the housing benefit.Im sorry you are in this position but it is one of your own making,I assume the benefits office found out because the next tenant had put in a claim.

It’s universal credit paying her rent not housing benefit that’s something from the past now

@LadyMary50
The OP has realised herself.

This wasn’t the same as op but I had a large overpayment (about £8000) which I had been trying to pay back but they would only take a small amount towards it each month from my benefits. Now I am no longer eligible for benefits I have to pay it back myself per month but I could choose the amount. I chose £200pm because I am fed up it hanging over me but I could have paid much less than that. I thought the way it was dealt with was fair tbh. (Just seen the post above where the person will never pay it off!)

Yes I know you're meant to check. OP said she hasn't been though. Clearly she should have been. Clearly shes been overpaid. All I said was that I can see how it happens, because it happened to my friend.

Not saying it's OK, or that OP shouldn't pay it back. But I can see how she got into this mess.

You are meant to check the journal regularly they send reminders to log in on occasion

From my experience, even if you are really meticulous with Tax Credits / UC, keeping them updated on any changes, you can still end up owing overpayments. There's never any point in arguing about it, one just has to accept that's part of getting this help. They will take it out of future payments over time, that's it. You'll just be in a worse position financially, but that's the best outcome (as opposed to prosecution, which is unlikely.)
Having a baby, a child and being unwell doesn't abdicate all responsibility for financial admin. That's life. Concentrate on getting well enough to work when your baby is old enough for childcare. Good that you have your baby-dads support! I'd work on maintaining that relationship as it sounds important.

It doesn't sound like fraud to me, it sounds like someone overwhelmed by events who is now finally able to deal with stuff.

Op it happens a lot. They will ask for you to pay it back - the cab are good at helping with this type of problem.

She also needs to change her claim from a a single claim to a joint claim.

She was well enough to inform them of the new baby to get the money for that child, but not well enough to inform them that she now lives with her partner and no longer rents the old place? Both things which would reduce her payments.

I can very easily see how you can be overpaid a few pounds here or there, it has happened to me. Sometimes an overpayment occurs on the fault of DWP, which again the customer may not have known they were not entitled to.
The OP however has been receiving full housing benefit for 10 months, that is not a few pounds that is easy to miss.

You literally changed address and moved in with partner. How did you not realise to change address or make joint claim when you obviously informed them that you had a new baby

Gosh, reading this from a country where comparatively there is almost no benefit system aside from pensions and very severe disabilities, I can’t quite fathom the amount of money people are being given in the UK.
It really is eye opening.

Do remember that the majority of people on benefits are in work. A lot of people get a top up of £50. It isn’t always hundreds every month.

And the biggest part of our benefits bill is pensions. When you hear people talk about the benefits bill and how large the number is, the biggest part is going on paying pensions.

Im confused,if you moved and didnt tell DWP,presumably they were still sending correspondence to your previous address or did you do a postal redirection so DWP didnt find out you had moved and continued paying the rent.These are questions they will ask you.I dont believe for one minute you discovered the overpayment i think they discovered your fraud.

But you must have applied for it at some point & been told what your claim was made up of?

How did you think that your rent was being paid if it wasn't directly by you?

Ah ok, thank you for explaining. They overpaid me once and then clawed it back which felt a bit unfair, but it was only about £120. Luckily I've never been in a position where I owe them. I don't envy OP.

Thank you also.

Yeah, try telling all the benefit bashers who claim state pension that.

One DWP estimate this year is £3.7Bn being underpaid through claimants not reporting changes that would have worked in their favour. Figures vary depending on source and breakdown.

I had a similar situation, as soon as I realised I wrote to my work coach to advise them and gave the reasons. I was obviously mortified and explained this. They’ve been nice, I said I wanted to work with them to pay it back and it’s going through debt management at the minute so I haven’t yet worked out the payment plan with them.
let them know asap, it’ll be far better for them to be told by you than find out themselves.

Can I ask which country out of interest?

@Sunshine225 said she moved in with father of child’s dad

so fil

but doesn’t say if her sons dad is living there

op was renting before due to receiving rent so not sure why moved from a place she had her rent paid for to a different address aka her father in laws

I really wouldn't worry too much about it OP. Something similar happened to me years ago - we were overpaid but didnt realise as DH is self employed so we were always playing catch up by estimating his income for the forthcoming year and then giving actual figures at the end of the year. One year I hugely underestimated and they contacted me about it.

I couldn't afford to pay it back in one go so set up a payment plan with them.

Just ring them (if you can ever get through to them), explain what happened and either pay it off in full or set up a payment plan. You will have to pay them back - they wont just say never mind, keep it on us.

To be honest if they haven't pulled you on it, do they know when you moved in with your partner?
Just tell them you've moved and don't need the assistance anymore, I doubt they will ask you to pay it back?