Overpaid carers allowance
Hello! I'm just wondering if anyone has been in a similar situation and could tell me how long they waited for things to get sorted...
Backstory:
• I have a disabled son who is 14. I've always been a single parent (no contact from dad or that side of the family, no maintenance etc).
•Son attends a special needs school
• I've always worked 16-18 hours within school times to be able to do so since my son started nursery at 3 years old.
In October 2021 I had to cut my hours at work due to my son now having a reduced timetable at school. I cut my hours to 14 and put in a claim for carers allowance. This was accepted and everything was fine.
In October 2022 I recieved a call from carers allowance to tell me I had been overpaid due to the minimum wage rising in April (this is now oct). I was shocked as I do everything by the books I just never realised. I asked how much I was over the threshold to claim and I was told £1. I was told my payments would be paused.
I called my employer when I came off the phone and reduced my hours to 12 and called carers back 40minutes later to let them know. 2 days later I recieved a letter to pay back over £1500. I called straight away to sort it out by a monthly payment and the gentleman told me that had gone through. I called again 7 days later to ask if they would take into account childcare that i pay one day a week for an hour whilst I finish work and was told yes.
Its now been 16weeks and I haven't heard anything. I did call in December and was told the case is still open but from what it says on the website it usually takes 12 weeks.
Has anyone been in this position?