Still paying me benefit

nighthawk9

I have just found out that 10 months after starting work I am still being paid Incapacity benefit. I found my Job myself but had to go through REED IN PARTNERSHIP to fill out all the back to work forms and did this back last April 2010, I had a letter 3 weeks ago telling me of an increase in payments from April so wrote back saying that there has been a mistake and to stop further payments. I have been checking my Bank account and today yet another payment has been made. I am willing to pay this over payment back over a period of time but will this be seen as my mistake? as I said I filled out all the back to work paperwork and thought it had been sent. Any advice would be more than welcomed. I hope this is the correct place to post this.....sorry if it's not.

Thanks

dmg24

Are you saying that you have not checked your bank account in ten months?

Why not ring them?

nighthawk9

It is a savings account in my Ex Wifes name and I dont get statements so yes I did not notice any payments still being paid

AnxiousMum

Any chance that the money will still be in the account that it can be paid back? Or.....will your ex wife have put this money to use?

dmg24

AnxiousMum wrote: »

Any chance that the money will still be in the account that it can be paid back? Or.....will your ex wife have put this money to use?

Sounds like a plan to me - if the account has not been touched, no reason why the OP cannot just write a cheque for the overpayment.

allen35

nighthawk9 wrote: »

It is a savings account in my Ex Wifes name and I dont get statements so yes I did not notice any payments still being paid

May be better as stated to call them to clear things up, a little confusing, if payments were in a savings account and you weren't aware wouldn't it be better to pay it all back and get rid of this unnoticed money.

nighthawk9

It's a case of "wow more than I thought" in the account so approx half gone, so would give this back ASAP but the rest would have to be paid over a period of time.

allen35

And as it was unnoticed you could supply a bank statement proving you weren't aware of still claiming IB and therefore reduce a possible fraud investigation, as for paying it back weekly/monthly, if the money as stated was unnoticed and still in the account, will be hard to claim financial hardship

nighthawk9

The Account has been used for my Salary to be paid into each Month, and also Her Child Tax Credit and child Benefit so the overpayments have never been picked up.

AimeesMum_2

I'm sorry I find it hard to believe that you never noticed an extra £400 per month going into the account. I think the benefits office might too...

nannytone_2

you share a bank account with your ex wife?
if it gets looked into, i think that she might struggle to convince the DWP that you are indeed her 'ex'