anyone here work for DWP?

joanne_d_3

Hi .

Im just looking some advice.

Many many years ago (10 or more) i was on benefits and took out a crisis loan from the DWP which i paid back every week out of my income support.

Then i got married , came off benefits and went into the DWP office to clear the remainder off my loan.

I honestly paid back every penny that i owed. Yes i got a receipt but who keeps receipts for over 10 years?

Any way , over the past year or so they have been writing to me saying that i have an outstanding amount of £95 to pay on this loan from 10 years ago!!!

I know its not a massive amount but why should i pay it when i KNOW i cleared the loan. They are getting really insistant now , they are writing to me weekly and this morning i got a debt collectors letter stating that they are planning court proceedings!

Does anyone here actually work for the DWP ? I really need SOLID advice of what i should do . Can they chase me for this money after 10 years? Should i just pay it to get them off my back ?

I really dont want debt collectors appearing at my door which is what the letter states will hapeen if i dont contact them.

Thanks. Responses appreciated.

joanne

dookar

joanne_d wrote: »

Can they chase me for this money after 10 years? Should i just pay it to get them off my back ?

Yes.

And in my opinion, yes.

TheTARDIS

I'm sorry, but I can't advise on your situation.

Perhaps the likes of dmg24 or healy may come along shortly with appropriate knowleadgeable advice for you?

All the best!

skintbint_2

yes they can, it is not the same as a loan company as they have a duty to protect the public purse. you dont mention if you have ignored their letters or have you contacted them and spoke to them directly. have you put your dispute in writing if not i suggest you do it immediately with as much information as you can remember, which office, roughly when did you pay, did you pay by cheque?

dmg24

Are you claiming any benefits at the moment? They cannot enforce the debt through the courts, but they can make deductions through current benefits (or any claimed in the future).

You need to ask them for proof of the debt. This may realise that it is not yours/ has been paid off and close the case, or they may provide you proof of the debt with some payments missing. The problem in the latter case is that it is up to you to prove that you did pay.

DX2

If you paid the loan off why would you be willing to pay more

joanne_d_3

DX2 wrote: »

If you paid the loan off why would you be willing to pay more

Hi . In answer toyour question its because imworried they actually could take me to court !

joanne_d_3

dmg24 wrote: »

Are you claiming any benefits at the moment? They cannot enforce the debt through the courts, but they can make deductions through current benefits (or any claimed in the future).

You need to ask them for proof of the debt. This may realise that it is not yours/ has been paid off and close the case, or they may provide you proof of the debt with some payments missing. The problem in the latter case is that it is up to you to prove that you did pay.

Hi. I did contact them before and according to them they can only state that the debt was not cleared. They are asking ME to prove that is WAS and iv no receipt to show that it was.

I currently only receive tax credits.

DX2

joanne_d wrote: »

Hi . In answer toyour question its because imworried they actually could take me to court !

Okay
Surely then the onus is on the DWP to prove that you didn't pay it, and as you say who keeps receipts from 10 years ago.

Kimitatsu

joanne_d wrote: »

Hi. I did contact them before and according to them they can only state that the debt was not cleared. They are asking ME to prove that is WAS and iv no receipt to show that it was.

I currently only receive tax credits.

So you need to ask them for the files that they have under the data protection act so that you can see if those files reflect the fact that you paid.

Do you know roughly the time you paid? If so and you can produce a bank statement with a corresponding amount then that would be a start in lieu of a receipt. You could argue that you only have to keep receipts and paperwork for a maximum of 7 years for tax purposes and so it would be prefectly reasonable to have disposed of it and produce a bank statement instead.

joanne_d_3

Kimitatsu wrote: »

So you need to ask them for the files that they have under the data protection act so that you can see if those files reflect the fact that you paid.

Do you know roughly the time you paid? If so and you can produce a bank statement with a corresponding amount then that would be a start in lieu of a receipt. You could argue that you only have to keep receipts and paperwork for a maximum of 7 years for tax purposes and so it would be prefectly reasonable to have disposed of it and produce a bank statement instead.

Hi.

No , i couldnt produce bank statements because i paid the money back in cash , not as a direct debit .

I wrote to the DWP around a year ago when i first got the letter asking me to repay , and i explained to them that i know i had the debt cleared. they told me to write a letter to them which i did but now the letters im getting are from a DEBT COLLECTION AGENCY !!

This is guna show on my credit scoring which is annoying me the most as my record has been good til now.

They say they are planning to visit me at home to discuss repayment , it must be costing them more to try to recover the debt than the debt itself is worth !!
Fed up now cos i know i paid it and now im guna probably end up paying it again just to get them off my case !! My husbands just lost his job too :mad: so we are getting by with just my part time wages and some tax credits


joanne