Overpayment of Housing Benefits £14k

10pence

Poppops wrote: »

My elderly parents, dad at 76 with dementia, receive £5 per week HB and £7 per week CTB and every year they receive reminders until they send in the new pension slips they receive from their works pension.

So I am really confused. Does everyone not have to provide proof of income every year? For some people, does HB continue to be paid at the same rate until you tell them otherwise?

My sentiments, the OP has stated in some posts of having moved and not receiving council letters, but still in receipt of the HB.

Bollotom

LostAndAshamed wrote: »

Have they confirmed that this is a HB overpayment?

HB isn't usually paid fortnightly, it would be monthly. If you've had fortnightly payments, that would suggest that it was a different benefit (JSA, possibly tax credits or child benefit?)

Possibly in the future benefits will be paid monthly but right now my own HB/CT is fortnightly. :cool:

Housing_Benefit_Officer

Poppops wrote: »

My elderly parents, dad at 76 with dementia, receive £5 per week HB and £7 per week CTB and every year they receive reminders until they send in the new pension slips they receive from their works pension.

So I am really confused. Does everyone not have to provide proof of income every year? For some people, does HB continue to be paid at the same rate until you tell them otherwise?

Under the last Labour Government the need for yearly reviews was scrapped. Now when you claim it could continue indefinitely - your claim has no end date. It is the claimants responsibility to notify of all changes of circumstances.

NYM

Housing_Benefit_Officer wrote: »

Under the last Labour Government the need for yearly reviews was scrapped. Now when you claim it could continue indefinitely - your claim has no end date. It is the claimants responsibility to notify of all changes of circumstances.

For goodness sake ...why? :doh:

elmer

So that they could cut costs, we employed a visiting officer to check claims, the post was made redundant in 2009. We now do random postal checks once a year on "at risk" claims

elmer

Eager_Elephant

There is a new scheme in place linked to RTI (Real Time Information - which is where employers now have to report earnings on a monthly basis rather than yearly) where HMRC send info to be matched up with HB claims - this started in the last few months so I am guessing this has matched the OP's wages with her HB claim.


Although there is a system where DWP can report changes to HB if someone is on JSA(c) the system does not cover this benefit hence why I think the council were not notified although of course it was the claimants responsibility to notify the council.


If the OP left the area or moved address and was liable for council tax why have the council tax team not matched this with her benefit claim.
In most areas Council Tax Benefit is paid directly to the council tax account so they would be aware.


I am not excusing the OP's behaviour but you can see how these issues arise and as for yearly renewals being stopped it just adds to the whole problem.

Poppie68

The op doesn't claim any benefits now, including CTB....so it wouldn't show up would it?





Oops sorry forgot quote.....that was for you Elmer..

superbigal36

The op wont have to pay anything back as their disposable income will drop from £42 a week to a minus figure once the £300 a month stops coming in.

Have the HB told you when they will stop paying you yet ?

NICHOLAS_2

Teahfc wrote: »

Well that's a great contribution to the thread.
Hope you never have to sit on a jury.

I wasn't suggesting that they would go to prison, just likening a life of poverty to something similar.

Poppie68

superbigal36 wrote: »

The op wont have to pay anything back as their disposable income will drop from £42 a week to a minus figure once the £300 a month stops coming in.

Have the HB told you when they will stop paying you yet ?

They wont let her walk away with £14000 of frandulant/overpayed money..Just because she doesn't apparently have the means to pay it back
If they determine it was a deliberate act of fraud they will prosecute..

They have already caught up with her so I would hopefully think they have already stopped payment.