Who should I contact?

will1974

Hi,

I have had a letter today from Carers Allowence, stating that I owe them £300 from January 2005 and February 2005 for an overpayment!!

I have always been so careful to contact them at the times that I have or have'nt been working as to avoid an overpayment happening to me.

During the months stated above I did work for a company for 5 weeks for about 3 hours a day, now I would have either told Carers allowence this information or not been earning above the £87.oo per week threshold.

When I phoned Carers allowence about this, they told me that I need to provide payslips to confirm this, I told them I do not have the payslips and would not be able to contact the company ( I left on bad terms) to ask them to shed light on what I earnt during those five weeks. The man at carers allowence then slammed the phone down on me.

Is there a place I can contact to find out my earnings during that period, and do you think I should appeal against this considering that it is 2 years ago.

Also, 2 months ago they sent me over £700 in backdated carers allowence why did they not take off what I supposedly owed them then???
Instead they wait till I spend it and then ask for £300 that they overpayed me in 2005....Argh!!!

Hope someone can shed some light...Cheers

Hapless_2

It doesn't matter if you earn less than the £87 a week, you need to provide them with the payslips and tell them immediately you may have earnt less than the £87 but they also need to know the numbers of hours you worked as they would not know if you were still available as carer for 35 hrs. Were you claiming Income Support at this time too? they would have had to have been informed as well. The same goes for ANY change in circumstances.

As for backdated 2 years, yes they can especially as you may have neglected to tell them. The work may only have come to light if they were informed of it by another source, i.e. inland revenue, income support whatever.

Savvy_Sue

Did you get a P45 when you left that job? If you did, that will show what you earned while you were there, and what period you worked there for (I think).

Hapless_2

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

Did you get a P45 when you left that job? If you did, that will show what you earned while you were there, and what period you worked there for (I think).

It won't show the weekly hours though

Elsiesgirl

Did you get the name of the man at Carers Allowance? Whatever has happened he should not have slammed the phone down on you. I know you have other things on your mind but you should make a written complaint about that.