ESA overpayment please advise

pipkin71

Have you had a look at the old style board or the debt related boards on here, ragdoll24?

They can be very useful in helping you to deal with your debt, or reducing the amount you spend on groceries each month. It must be scary trying to deal with all of that and your ill health.

For what it's worth, I think you have done the right thing for now, not moving in with your boyfriend just yet. Doing so because of financial reasons would just put an added strain on your relationship.

The likelihood is, that you will probably need to pay back your housing benefit overpayment, there will also be a council tax overpayment in that case, as well as your ESA.

It might be helpful if you could post your incoming and outgoings over on the debt free wannabe board, as an SOA and someone over there might see a way for you to reduce outgoings so that you will have more to pay off whatever over payments you have.

Good luck with it all.

ragdoll24

Pipkin71
Thank you for your kind words, you obviously have a good heart and understanding, it means a lot to me ��

pipkin71

ragdoll24 wrote: »

Pipkin71
Thank you for your kind words, you obviously have a good heart and understanding, it means a lot to me ��

The main thing is that you try not to get stressed out, as that won't help your blood pressure and you could end up feeling worse than you do already.

Do have a look at the old style board, there is some great advice on there and if it can help you cut back a bit, all the better for you.

Another thought, have you asked ESA if the overpayment can be reduced because you are struggling financially? I don't know if they will reduce it further but worth a try.

I think you said your eldest was in college? Can he get help towards travel expenses? My daughter received a travel pass every three months when she was there. That would also help your circumstances.

Ideally, it would be better if finances could be tackled now, before your eldest finishes his education because that will be a big drop on the amount of money you receive each week.

I think you said you were in the support group - Are you getting the enhanced disability premium if so? Check your award for that. Also, when you're up to it, look at permitted work. As long as you don't work more than 16 hours and you earn less than £120 per week, you can still claim ESA. You do need to ask them to agree to it, but I found that so helpful as it enabled me to return to work

nannytone_2

i do feel for yu, but your partners and your financial decisions cannot be taken into consideration.

you took more money than yu were entitled to and your partner has obvipusly accrued more debt than his income will sustain.

you say you understand that you owe this money, but then give every reason why you can't re pay it.

that isn't how it works.

you've been caught out and you need to make amends.

whether you inflict this on your partner is your choice.

don't come here trying to make other people feel guilty for the situation that YOU have made

ragdoll24

nannytone wrote: »

i do feel for yu, but your partners and your financial decisions cannot be taken into consideration.

you took more money than yu were entitled to and your partner has obvipusly accrued more debt than his income will sustain.

you say you understand that you owe this money, but then give every reason why you can't re pay it.

that isn't how it works.

you've been caught out and you need to make amends.

whether you inflict this on your partner is your choice.

don't come here trying to make other people feel guilty for the situation that YOU have made

Firstly I wasn’t caught out!!! I declared it so I could pay it back!! Secondly I’m not trying to get out of paying it back I’m saying I need to get well first so I can get a job and pay it back! So please get off your high horse! Sometimes !!!! happens in life and when it does people need help and support to get through it! If I had received the support through benefits and not been mucked around by DLA/PIP I would have never made the mistake in the first place! I was trying to get myself better and when I received PIP unlike a lot of people who are on that benefit and use it for nights out and drugs I was using it to pay for private counselling and courses with MIND to help me get over and come to terms with what happened to me! It took years of abuse to get me to the breakdown depression and anxiety I suffer so it was going to take me a bit more then 1yr to recover, if DLA/PIP had supported me for a bit more then 12mths I would be well on the road to recovery and back to work!

powerful_Rogue

ragdoll24 wrote: »

Actually it’s £2700 a month
His rent is £1200 a month
Household bills around £500 a month
Car ins and tax £40 a month
House insurance £30 a month
Credit card from a debt he kindly took over from his ex £180 a month
Mobile £30 a month
This leaves him with £720 a month to pay for all the food for 2 adults and 3children, school dinner money whic is £3 a day for each chil so that times 2 for a week is £30 a week, college for my other child which is £5 a day bus fare times 4 days is £20 a week plus money for his lunch, clothes for 3 children including shoes and school uniform, haircuts, prescriptions as I would no longer be entitled to free prescriptions and I’m on a lot of medication per month, mmaintenance of my car, petrol, tax, insurance and my debts. So are you telling me £700 a month will pay for all that??
Oh I forgot the oetrol he has to put in his car to get him to work which is around £50 a week as he has a long way to travel so that’s another £200 a month!

£120 a month on school dinners?! Give them a packed lunch instead.

As for the £5 a day bus fare, get a weekly ticket. Will be so much cheaper. Also give him a packed lunch.

As for prescriptions, get a pre-paid card. £104 for the year and you get all your prescriptions included.

I would hazard a guess you don't need to buy new clothes, shoes and school uniforms every month? Clothing can be picked up very cheaply (supermarkets/Primark/Charity shops etc)

I think as previously recommended, a trip to the debt saving section of the forum would be a great help for you.

Hoogle

I have not read through everything I do not like reading really long posts. But you shouldn't have to accept the repayment plan they suggest if it really is not within a realistic goal as long as your repaying it then they can accept payments of £1 a week if you work out what you can realistically afford say £15 per week then tell them you can make payments at £10 per week that does not mean you have £5 extra to your spending each week you should if possible put it into a savings account when it gets to X amount of savings pay of a lump sum.

As for your constantly being hypertensive with over 200 BP Then it may be a case that you have to turn in your driving license and swap it for a bus pass otherwise they can fine you upto £1000 for not disclosing your medical condition which if your driving with a bp of 200 I should imagine is a huge risk so declare your condition to DVLA asap and see what they suggest if you have your license suspended due to medical grounds then that will entitle you to other Benefits possibly like having a free bus pass.

Surely your son can get a better deal than £5 a day bus travel, local colleges tend to have a scheme of bus passes for £50 per term or similar, most bus companies offer discounted 7 day and monthly passes.

paying for school dinners is not a requirement surely it would work out cheaper to supply a packed lunch.

And to be more negative DWP/ Housing Benefits will investigate you and really push you to your limits to recover every penny they can and will not be very sympathetic to you in their eyes You told them you needed extra money as your unfit to work yet you were working claiming a salary on top of money you were getting for not being able to work. I hope there is nothing else that you are doing wrong as they can sanction you further. I commend you for realizing it was time to be upfront and declare it, but if you actually go see someone with documented proof of income/expenditure and just be really sympathetic and apologetic to them then they are more likely going to help you out better and perhaps stop any further investigations yes you will have to pay it back but it is better to do it on terms you can realistically afford and prevent yourself from going into debt over it than just getting constant demands and ccjs put against you.

Also it is in their interest to help you rather than forcing you into non affordable debt