Huge ESA overpayment

leon143

So I have been getting ESA for a few months now and I have always been getting £115 every 2 weeks. However this time they sent me £570 and another £251 the next day. I'm pretty sure this is because of an administrative error because I have not provided them with any incorrect information or any changes. The only one change would be that my birthday is this month and they told me my benefit would be increased to £146 from then on. What can I do about this? Will they just retract the payments or am I required to do something?

Alice_Holt

Contact the DWP, and ask them.
0800 169 0310

TELLIT01

Call them on Monday and get the error corrected as quickly as possible.

aninvasion

The best thing to is contact them straight the way and make sure it's not error on their end.

Better to check rather than spend it and be in a tricky spot later on.

leon143

The payments were made 2 weeks ago but I only realized it today, what would happen if I'm too late to inform them? Could they take legal action?

Also I have not spent the money but I did not receive my payment for the next 2 weeks so the money from the overpayment is all I have in my account right now.

poppy12345

leon143 wrote: »

The payments were made 2 weeks ago but I only realized it today, what would happen if I'm too late to inform them? Could they take legal action?

Also I have not spent the money but I did not receive my payment for the next 2 weeks so the money from the overpayment is all I have in my account right now.

ESA is only paid every 2 weeks. As others have said you'll need to ring ESA first thing Monday morning, they open at 8am.

leon143

I know, I meant my last payment was 2 weeks ago and I didn't receive my payment for the next 2 weeks. I am going to contact them on Monday but I just need to know if I can possible get into any trouble for being late to inform them?

BorisThomson

Don't worry, they're not going to take legal action against you for what appears to be an error. Give them a call and if the advisor cannot explain the discrepancies ask for a call back.

For repayment, they'll allow you to repay it in one go, or to have deductions from future payments over a period of time. They won't do anything that will leave you out of pocket.

Let us know how you get on.

bigbill

The £251.10 or £125.55 weekly is the amount for someone in the support group could it be they have moved you to this group before they tell you officially and this is the arrears owed?

TELLIT01

It's all speculation, although bigbill may be correct. The only way to get to the bottom of it is to phone them. Some areas do work Saturday morning so it might be worth trying then.

Wizardy18

OP, sounds like you may be claiming Universal Credit (UC).

Have you received any letters recently regards transfer to this?

As sounds like you may now be getting 4 weekly payments.