We’d like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum.
This is to keep it a safe and useful space for MoneySaving discussions. Threads that are – or become – political in nature may be removed in line with the Forum’s rules. Thank you for your understanding.
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!
Housing Benefit Overpayment - Advice Needed
taffy_thomas
Posts: 1 Newbie
Today I received a letter, or rather a calculation, from the Housing Benefit Section of my local council that showed I had been overpaid Housing Benefit since April 2009. It's my own fault really as my Tax Credits award increased in April 2009 and I failed to notify them due to suffering a complete nervous breakdown at the time. I've suffered from severe anxiety and depression for a number of years, but my last breakdown was quite serious and I am very slowly recovering from it. I haven't been coping very well at all and have tried to avoid anything stressful, wary that I may suffer a relapse.
Anyway the notification I received shows the overpayment, and the fact that my Housing Benefit entitlement has more than halved. From the recalculated Housing Benefit payments of £16.00 per week, a repayment of £9.30 is to be deducted per week.. which leaves me with a payment of just over £5.00 per week. I fully understand why the overpayment repayments need to be deducted, and have no problem with this, but it's the amount of the deductions that worry me as it's going to cause a great deal of financial hardship for me with the amount of rent I will now have to pay.
The situation is causing me a great deal of stress and making me physically sick, and I hope that I don't suffer a relapse because of it. Is there any way I can ask the Council to reduce the weekly instalment amounts to pay off the overpayment? Also how are the weekly instalments calculated? I would be grateful for any advice as I am beside myself with worry at the moment.Many thanks.
Anyway the notification I received shows the overpayment, and the fact that my Housing Benefit entitlement has more than halved. From the recalculated Housing Benefit payments of £16.00 per week, a repayment of £9.30 is to be deducted per week.. which leaves me with a payment of just over £5.00 per week. I fully understand why the overpayment repayments need to be deducted, and have no problem with this, but it's the amount of the deductions that worry me as it's going to cause a great deal of financial hardship for me with the amount of rent I will now have to pay.
The situation is causing me a great deal of stress and making me physically sick, and I hope that I don't suffer a relapse because of it. Is there any way I can ask the Council to reduce the weekly instalment amounts to pay off the overpayment? Also how are the weekly instalments calculated? I would be grateful for any advice as I am beside myself with worry at the moment.Many thanks.
0
Comments
-
Yes you can ask them, they will ask you to complete an income and expediture form to show that the deductions will cause you hardship.
I appreciate that this is a worrying time for you but please also note that they can refuse to reduce the deductions as well as the £9.75 is the standard deduction.
Edit
The deduction is set and is a standard rate of recovery. There are a few clawback rates this is the lowest.:j0 -
hippy-chicy wrote: »The deduction is set and is a standard rate of recovery. There are a few clawback rates this is the lowest.
It depends on your local council as they are the ones that administer this. It's certainly worth asking, you could give them a ring.Torgwen..........
...........0 -
It depends on your local council as they are the ones that administer this. It's certainly worth asking, you could give them a ring.
Clawback rates are standard and are set by the housing benefit regulations. Each local authority has the discretion to reduce the rates but as the guidance in administering reductions in recovery rates to is passed to LA's by the DWP, it is also pretty much standard.0 -
Thank you Macro your post was obviously clearer than mine.
£9.75 is the lowest standard recovery rate. The OP will need to ask the LA to consider reducing the deduction if they can show it is causing them hardship.:j0
This discussion has been closed.
Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply
Categories
- All Categories
- 354.8K Banking & Borrowing
- 254.5K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 455.6K Spending & Discounts
- 247.7K Work, Benefits & Business
- 604.6K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 178.7K Life & Family
- 262.3K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 16.1K Discuss & Feedback
- 37.7K Read-Only Boards