DWP - Debt from 1995!! - Dont Know Why!? Never Heard Aout It Before!

StudentOfBusiness

Today i had a surprise to see that I had a letter from the DWP (Department of Work and Pensions) Debt Management. It said that it was the final notice of a debt to the tune of £209, this astounded me as I have never heard anything of this debt or had any corrospondence from them. If I did not pay it they would take me to court etc etc.

So I rung them up to query this letter and debt. Apparently it was for Income Support from March 1995 until May 1995! Its took 13 years for this to arrive and I still dont know why, becuase I have never been out of work for long, and from what I can remember from that time becuase it was so long ago, I may of injured myself at work and been on the sick, but I really cant remember!

The woman on the phone was not very helpful at all, as I said that I would pay a pound a week (they were being ridculous and I was annoyed), but she said no and that they would take it out of my pension!

It just really annoys me becuase I have always worked hard and paid tax etc, and they are chasing me for something I cant even remember, or even know if it is a valid debt. There are real benefit fraudsters out there who need catching and they are chasing us hard-working folk!

Help people please, or just your comments on this matter

Mrs_Ryan

This does happen actually.

Rare, but it happens.

Im no expert SOB, but maybe try a Subject Access Request? Upon payment of a fee, you can see all the info they hold on you. Wouldnt it be Statute Barred now anyway?

StudentOfBusiness

Mrs_Ryan wrote: »

This does happen actually.

Rare, but it happens.

Im no expert SOB, but maybe try a Subject Access Request? Upon payment of a fee, you can see all the info they hold on you. Wouldnt it be Statute Barred now anyway?

Thank you for your reply.

I thought that it would be as well, surely, they cant hold a debt against you for 13 years, this is the first i've heard of it as well which makes it even worse. Im still not entirely sure this is a debt that I have actually incured and not a mishap on their part.

To be honest, I dont actually know what a Subject Access Request is; would you give me some idea please and I will then look into it.

Mrs_Ryan

Suject Access Request is basically a formal request to the DWP for all information they hold on you. For a fee (usually £10) they will send you a copy of everything they hold on file about you - you are entitled to see this.
You will need to provide them with details (most importantly your National Insurance Number here) and they will then give you the info. This should enable you to see exactly what's happened.
Hope that helps! x

StudentOfBusiness

Mrs_Ryan wrote: »

Suject Access Request is basically a formal request to the DWP for all information they hold on you. For a fee (usually £10) they will send you a copy of everything they hold on file about you - you are entitled to see this.
You will need to provide them with details (most importantly your National Insurance Number here) and they will then give you the info. This should enable you to see exactly what's happened.
Hope that helps! x

Thanks a lot, thats great. I will keep posted in here what happens as I find out, as you can imagine, I was just annoyed about it becuase I work hard and to be chased for something that allegedly happened over 13 years ago is just insane, I think you would agree.

Although, this could just be a sign of how much the credit crunch and global economic crisis is actually hitting our Government, becuase of all the time they have had, they decide to now.

Mrs_Ryan

No problem at all, glad I could help. I have relatives and friends working for DWP and R&C (Revenue and Customs) so I do know of slightly puzzling cases like yours and for some bizarre reason these things only appear years later.

Good luck and keep us posted!

Mrs R :-)

cifpower

Debt to the government cannot be statute barred and must be paid. All you can do is ring or write and ask what the debt is for.