Possible ESA overpayment

Marco84

That's right

I went to citizens advice today and they said they can't help until I been issued a letter about overpayment.

I contacted the job centre this afternoon and they were knocked for six and clueless about it. They said it will go down good that I came forward and must wait for a call back on Monday afternoon, worrying times

Marco84

If someone can put my mind at rest while I wait for that dreaded phone call to sort out the mess I got myself in.

Since my ESA got reduced is that a reportable change of circumstance to housing benefit or does not effect it as I still receive It? Thank you

BorisThomson

Marco84 wrote: »

If someone can put my mind at rest while I wait for that dreaded phone call to sort out the mess I got myself in.

Since my ESA got reduced is that a reportable change of circumstance to housing benefit or does not effect it as I still receive It? Thank you

Yes, it is a reportable change in circumstances. If you're still entitled to some income based ESA, and your HB was assessed based on the correct number of people/ rooms, then your HB entitlement will not change, but you still need to tell them.

(Any entitlement to IB ESA will entitle you to full HB minus any bedroom tax deduction.)

Marco84

Another question on change of circumstance, do I need to let child tax credit know that i was getting a wrong higher amount of ESA? If so will it lower child tax credits? It seems never ending trying to sort this out.

epitome

Tell Child tax by all means but I doubt will have any effect.

You really have nothing to worry about except that the overpayment will be recovered from you.

What is likely to happen is that the ESA overpayment will be approximately £24,000 they will add on a penalty of £50 and you will pay it back at £10 or £20 per week out of your existing ESA, they may recover it from other benefits you have and they could possibly recover it direct from your partners earnings or from your earnings if you return to work. Whatever happens the amount recovered won't leave you nothing to live on, so you will be alright. Prison is very very unlikely and will probably never even be considered as an option.

Don't worry. (except that you will be paying it all back...which of course is only right)

Marco84

I'm happy to pay back overpayment as I have no desire for money not in my name. Just the visions of prison won t leave my mind They asked for 3 years of bank statements from the date my wife entered the country a few days ago. I can see last year I went over the savings limit once when we saved for a car, I guess it will make matters worse.

On the brighter side, I contacted Tax Credits and they wasn't interested in my ESA and in fact found out I wasn't claiming disabled tax credits for my son.

TELLIT01

Visions of prison certainly should be put from your mind. The likelihood of that being the outcome is miniscule.

McKneff

Stop worrying about prison.
Iy just wont happen because there is no point in it.

Good luck x