Overpaid HB - Excessive repayments

Szamar

Hello all,

Before i email my local council over this, i just wanted to get a bit of advice.

I owed about 700, they added 30% on after the investigation after it turned out it was an honest mistake on mine and the job centres parts (mis-information given by the job centre). I was working last year, they told me they wanted £200ish a month over 5 months, i told them that this was unreasonable but they said they can't offer anything else.

I lost my job in December, so they decided to take £50 a month off my last HB claim, leaving me £50 down a month without thinking about the bills i'd have to pay off coming out of that job. Anyway, that made things alot worse and i got into debt in a few other places because i simply could not afford to live, i'm now having to pay these back now that i got back into work just over a month ago.

They are now demanding £167 over 4 months, when the reality is that i'd probably struggle to pay around 20 a month, my rent is going up by 50% at the end of this month as my housemate is moving out and i have so many other debts and demands to pay back, i just can't afford to pay this.

What is my best approach? Because i have a feeling they'll just tell me any amount that isn't on the invoice will be unacceptable. I would go to the CAB but i don't want any time off at work until i've had my first meeting regarding my first month or two to confirm that i'll be staying on, and my local CAB is only open 2-3 hours a day, 4 days a week and will want me to go in.

I'd want to pay £20 a month, and keep increasing how much i pay off each debt as each one is written off. If i paid the amount they are asking, i may aswell not eat and pay utilities for 4 months, i can't even afford travel to work as it is, i'm walking 8 miles a day.

Any advice appreciated.

makemedebtfreeplease

Your council should be able to give you a budget income and expenditure form which you can fill in and ask for a reconsideration of the weekly overpayment amount that is coming off your weekly benefit entitlement

Szamar

Thanks, i'll email stating how much i predict i'll be-able to pay and request a form to fill in if they don't believe me or are not happy with that. I have everything worked out on a spreadsheet which i keep up to date, so i know exactly how much i have free, it's starting to get to the point where i have nothing left incase of emergencies each month, i have about £27 at the moment spare.

I'm also awaiting my pay to go up very soon, so i'll contribute a bit of that to go towards it to when that does happen.

Any idea what i should do if they do not accept anything like this? They were very stubborn last year and wouldn't allow me to pay in smaller amounts at all.