repayment of overpayment.. interest free loan?

cockerbonnie

My partner phoned up to renew our child tax credit and working tax credit claim. She phoned up and gave them my earnings which they had anyway. Then my partner was asked if there were any other changes. My partner was on incapacity but was moved over to esa.which she told them. Now today I usually receive £5 as I do every week for working tax credits. Its a small amount but I mainly claim it for the nhs excemption card. Anyway today three payments went in one of £1,100 another of £51 and another of £71. Obviously this was wrong. So I phoned up and was told that when renewing they hadnt put anything down for my partner for the whole of the year. Meaning mr computer calculated I was owed all this money. I phoned up and offered to pay it back.I was then recalculated and my payments would go back to as before. She said that they take it back at 25% of your usual payments (£5 a week). Even though I pointed out this would take about 15 years maybe more she sed thats what I can do. So do I keep the money and think of it as a interest free loan? I only claim tax credits as the nhs excemption helps me. She also said that I can choose not to receive any payment until its paid off but a fiver a week is still a long time. As long as I got to keep the nhs excemption id be happy

HappyMJ

If they are offering to repay it over a long period of time due to their mistake then I'd take it. Make sure you save the money and spend it slowly and you might even make a few extra pounds in interest.

cockerbonnie

She advised waiting till it came through the post how they would reclaim it she said I could pay it back at 25% of weekly amount I get, not get anything till its paid back or pay it bk in full. But if its interest free I mite as well keep it
.Obviously ill wait till they say how it can b paid bk. At least its not a gradual overpayment over the year. If they sed it had to all b paid bk I cud