Advice please

jackiefurniss

About 5/6 years ago we were overpaid by the tax credits. I'd rung up to update them on my husband's pay rise and a few days later my hubbie rang to tell me the bank had rung him the tax credits had deposited approx £7000 in his account. I rang them to ask why we'd been given this and they said it was because he was only earning approx £501. I was livid as I'd actually informed them that he was earning £25,501 and the advisor had obviously input the figures wrong. They also informed me that approx £7000 had been deposited in my account that day and obviously I would have to pay this back. I asked that we pay this back immediately and was told no, we couldn't do that. I asked to speak to a manager to whom I explained the situation and again was told no we couldn't pay it back straight away. We received an amendment to our award in the post where it detailed the £501 as his earnings (for a 37.5 hour week!) and it also detailed that they would collect the overpayment from future awards. I again rang them to ask that we pay it back straight away and was again told no, we couldn't do that. We have since been paying this back through our yearly awards and obviously because of this don't receive anything. My friend when I told her about this was adamant that we shouldn't have to pay anything back as it was their error that caused the overpayment. I wasn't sure that this situation would be in the same league as other overpayments even though it WAS their error. What do others think?