£1500 Overpayment HB

AdeleLisa

I’ve had a terrible weekend crying and not sleeping. There has been a £1500 over payment of HB.

I will try keep this as short as I can

I live in council temporary accommodation, My partner is Spanish so I make phone calls on his behalf if he needs to sort anything important out, he can’t understand English very well when he speaks on the phone. But lately I’ve been very sick and have laid in bed in pain for the last five months

He started work two months ago, I should of rang on his behalf to notify DWP that he is in employment but Being unable to walk due to two prolapsed Discs I can’t seem to carry out any normal tasks at the minute. I’m in bed and on a lot of pain medication of which knock me out. I took my eye of the ball so to speak and didn’t tell DWP which is my fault

My partner works nights so he can look after me during the day.
I’m registered disabled and on ESA and PIP so I can prove I’m unwell

How I wish I could turn the clock back as we owe now owe £1500 in over payment of HB which was paid directly to the council homeless team.who run where I live. I can’t believe it’s one pocket and out the next!!! But I’m grateful to have a roof over my head
I don’t know what to do as my partner & I have a lot of outgoings so I worry how this will be paid back. we now also have to find £400 rent a month as I guess we won’t get HB now as he works. He does 30 to 40 hours a week.

If I wasn’t Sick this wouldn’t of happened , I guess something had to give in the end. We now realise he is better not working as we get more help but that’s not how I’ve been bought up

If I email the council to explain what r my chances of them writing it off . It will literally finish us having to repay this back

Any advice on what I should do would be gratefully recurved. I feel like I’ve the world on my shoulders

Thank you

Xx

poppy12345

AdeleLisa wrote: »

My partner works nights so he can look after me during the day.
I’m registered disabled and on ESA and PIP so I can prove I’m unwell

Do you claim Income Related ESA or Contributions based? If it's Income Related have you reported the changes to DWP regarding your partner working?


You can arrange a payment plan to re-pay the overpayment of housing benefit. Universal Credit maybe an option but this will depend on how much your partner earns.

AdeleLisa

I’m on contribution based ESA support group

Should I notify them? I’m not good at benefits at all as you can see

AdeleLisa

I also went on universal credit of which I was advised to do but because I’m
On contribution ESA It gets taken out of you benefit so I ended up each
Month with nothing so I stopped UC

poppy12345

AdeleLisa wrote: »

I’m on contribution based ESA support group

Should I notify them? I’m not good at benefits at all as you can see

Providing it's definitely CB ESA which is £111.65 per week then you don't need to report the changes because it's not means tested and your partner working doesn't affect the amount you can claim.

AdeleLisa

Yep is definitely contribution ESA never knew it wasn’t means tested!!

calcotti

AdeleLisa wrote: »

Yep is definitely contribution ESA never knew it wasn’t means tested!!

If you previously had no income or savings you would have been entitled to an income based top up to your contribution based ESA. Please check the amount you are receiving - is it £111.65/week (£223.30/fortnight) as indicated by poppy? If it is more than this you are getting some income based ESA and need to tell DWP about your partner’s work.

AdeleLisa

£227.21

I went on contribution ESA about 6 years ago. I now receive PIP enhanced daily living
My ESA went up about a month ago which was a surprise as I had no letter to say so unless I’ve misplaced it.
But it’s definitely Contribution
I heard I can combine but this is only what I read on internet
I don’t know what else I’m entitled to
I’ve had a bad time with my health and my god....... if I could go back to work I would love it but I can’t and it’s a bitter pill to swollow as I lived my job

X

AdeleLisa

I will call DWP and see what they say

poppy12345

AdeleLisa wrote: »

£227.21

I went on contribution ESA about 6 years ago.

X

That's too much for Contributions based alone. You really do need to ring ESA to check you're not receiving the Income Related top up and you're receiving a slight deduction for something, possibly a past loan?