Social Fund

susier2712

Hi,
I would be grateful for any help with this, I have had a phone call from works and pensions saying that I had a social fund loan back in 1998 that I still owed for £446.00, I have no recollection of this as I started working back fulltime in 1996 after having my children, so I have queried this with their department and they have sent me a letter with what looks like my signature dated 1998 but also the last line of the letter states that they would be deducting an amount each month from my family credit which as far as I can remember I was getting back then as my youngest son had only just started school, but I have no paperwork with any evidence of my family credit payments so I cannot prove after 12 years that this was paid or whether is was not paid, but I lived at the same address from 1991 -2007, and not once did I receive any letters about this so I can only assume that this was deducted from my family credit otherwise surely someone would have contacted me long before a time lapse of 12 years. The citizens advice tell me that after a debt hasnt received any payment from the person that owes it for 6 years the debt is written off, help how can I prove my case on this one. Thanks Susier2712

dmg24

Are you receiving any benefits now? The CAB guidance is misleading, a debt cannot be enforced through the courts after such a length of time, but deductions can be made from existing or future benefits. Have you asked the DWP of evidence of what you did pay back, if anything?

susier2712

No I havent received any benefits for about 10 years

susier2712

DWP say that nothing was ever paid off, dont understand when their letter states it was being deducted from my family credit that i was receiving at the time, but how can I prove it, I still have no recollection of ever having a loan from them, I was under the impression that you could only apply for something like this if you were unemployed so I cant honestly think i would have even applied.

AnxiousMum

They may not be able to enforce it in a court of law, but when you reach pension age, or claim any benefits between now and then, I believe they can deduct it from source at the time.

susier2712

Thanks all for the replies, so its their word against mine, i am now divorced but was married at the time this social fund was alledgedly awarded , after my ex husband left me in 2004 I had no end of debts turning up in my name that he had instigated and as they were in my name I had to pay them, as I Had no idea of his whereabouts, it took me nearly 6 years to get straight now this has turned up makes me wonder if its something to do with him, not sure how I would be able to prove that one though.

NickyBat

But you said they have sent you a copy of a letter with your signature on it?

susier2712

It looks like my signature!!! I was married to my ex for nearly 30 years he could easily forge my signature it wouldnt be the first time either! and if this loan was taken out in 1998 i cant understand why i havent been contacted until now, as I said i lived at the same address until 2007 thats 9 years without any notification of this, my ex left in 2004.