Advice Urgently Needed - Overpayment of Jobseekers (Do I have any rights?)

Freebie_Hunter_2

I have known this happen to a few people, myself included. In each situation, the money had to be, and was, paid back.
I think the important thing to remember is that if you ignore it then it's likely to come back and bite you in the bum. It did so with an old work colleague, when they reclaimed for benefits a couple of years later they ended up being paid a reduced rate as the rest was taken out to re-pay the overpayment.

They normally get their money back, it's been paid to you in error so it's really not your money. I know it's their mistake and it's frustrating, but you couldn't do this with the bank so you can't expect to do this with the jobcentre.

Pay it back, even if it's just a pound a week. It's really not worth the hassle it could cause in the future.

Homemade_2

james2311 wrote: »

Could anyone offer assistance with the question in hand? When I say this to the Job Centre will I be given the chance to repay over time? Will this appear on my file? Will I be accused of fraud!!!!!

James....tell them that you genuinely didnt notice extra money in your account. Not everyone is so good at keeping track but as you had told them everything you were supposed to it will be ok.

They might tell you that you have to pay it back or they might not. If they do, it will be at an amount thats reasonable to you. £5 a week maybe, eg.

It wont go on your file and neither will you be charged with fraud.

Oldernotwiser

dookar wrote: »

Okay, I've read all the replies and providing the OP declared his work/wages, I believe he has no need to worry

Are you saying he needn't worry about a prosecution or paying the money back?

Indie_Kid

james2311 wrote: »

Hi,

I am in receipt of Jobseekers Allowance. I got a job working 15 hours a week in November. I went into the Job Centre and told them the day I got the job. Also wrote it on my 'looking for work' document.

Did you fill in the booklet to sign off and then hand it in?

I'm confused as to how you couldv'e got 6 weeks JSA if you hadn't actually turned up to sign on?

dookar

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Are you saying he needn't worry about a prosecution or paying the money back?

Well, I did mean the former but I don't see how the overpayment would be recoverable so I guess I meant the latter too in a 'by proxy' kind of way

tr82

We don't know the date he started work, the date his first wages were paid or the period covered by his advanced/excused signing arrangements for the holidays.

So it's difficult to establish whether he's even been overpaid, let alone its recoverability.

Freebie_Hunter_2

I've just thought......it's not some sort of run-on or 'back to work' bonus is it? I know that if you're unemployed for 6 months plus, you get a couple of hundred pounds bonus and (down here) a HB/CTB run on for 4wks.
Would've thought the bonus would be a giro and the run on would be labelled as HB, but it's just an idea?

dookar

tr82 wrote: »

We don't know the date he started work, the date his first wages were paid or the period covered by his advanced/excused signing arrangements for the holidays.

So it's difficult to establish whether he's even been overpaid, let alone its recoverability.

Huh? We can only work on what he's said. From what he's said he has possibly received payments to which he is not entitled since november.

I don't see how excused signings matter.

Oldernotwiser

dookar wrote: »

Well, I did mean the former but I don't see how the overpayment would be recoverable so I guess I meant the latter too in a 'by proxy' kind of way

I don't think they have much problem claiming back overpayments, even if it has to be done over a period of time.

tr82

dookar wrote: »

Huh? We can only work on what he's said. From what he's said he has possibly received payments to which he is not entitled since november.

I don't see how excused signings matter.

Excused signings matter when it comes to the recoverability of the overpayment. It means that fortnight can be recovered 100%. The rest of the overpayment might be the claimant's fault (recoverable), it might be an official error (not recoverable).

He's only working 15 hrs per week. So they can't just shut his claim down. They've got to keep the claim open & start to take his wages into account from the week in which he receives them ... did he get put onto payroll & paid in November ? Or was it December sometime ? Who knows.

He says he's been overpaid. He hasn't had a letter saying that or asking him to pay anything back. You want to rely on that and give advice on such little information ? I don't.

There's so little info to go on, it's less a thread about a particular overpayment than a general discussion about overpayments and whether people are obliged to repay them. I'm merely pointing that out.