Work place caused UC overpayment.

sophtori

Bit of an odd one but could really really use any advice or help!!

Me and my partner have been claiming UC alongside his wage since September 2019 when my maternity allowance was due to end. We had worked out from the first payment we received that we could manage this way until our daughter was one so that I could stay home with her and continue to breastfeed. I am aware of how lucky that made me to be able to do that 100% so please don’t think I don’t but We budgeted carefully to make it so. I would think anyone else would seize the opportunity to look after there child should it be possible. (And if not then also fine, to each their own, that’s each individuals choice.)

However on our latest statement I noticed it could not possibly be correct. My partner works full time and is paid every two weeks, so when it stated his employer had declared his earnings for the month as £600 (meaning we were receiving over £900 from UC) I knew something was wrong. Especially considering it was a three pay month for him with the way the dates fell. 

I contacted UC straight away to query the figures as I did not want to be owing them money. 

They told me that what had happened was very unusual but that my partners employer had been declaring his yearly totalled pension contributions every pay day rather than his two weekly ones. Meaning that when he had paid around £60 into his pension they were declaring he’d actually paid in over £1000.

This means that for the four payments we have had since September we have been overpaid. Had we known this we obviously wouldn’t have used the money. But now we owe them what we shouldn’t have had and it is through no fault of our own. 

We will be paid the £900 this time as it can’t be stopped so I will put this away not to be used so it can be paid straight back but I don’t know how we’re going to be able to afford to pay back the overpaid money. I know they take back small amounts each time we are paid in future but that money is obviously needed for the months it is paid in. 

I will obviously go back to work if we will struggle however we do not know what we will be entitled to going forward now that the figures have been wrong the whole time so it means finding a job quick enough. As well as this I am obviously extremely distressed as my daughter is not in any way prepared for me going back to work and she is solely used to me being with her 7 days a week and will not settle or feed with anyone else. This would obviously have been slowly introduced if we knew I was going but we thought we had another four months. 

It is so infuriating as I have tracked our UC statements incessantly to avoid ever being overpaid and owing money and our case worker even agreed how on top of things I had been in terms of contacting them with any issues. However I obviously could not see from our end what his work was declaring and the effect it was having on our payments. So the overpayments and money owed in my opinion is through no error of our own and therefore shouldn’t now be having such a negative impact on our life. 

I just was hoping to know if anyone else has had a similar problem and if they knew any way to resolve this with minimal impact. It is currently going through an appeal where they have taken all my partners pay slips to look into it but it is driving me crazy being so out of the loop on what is going to happen in the future. 

Thank you for any help and I really appreciate if you have taken the time to read my query. Hoping for the best.

KatrinaWaves

Even if there has been an error, its not UC's fault, its how his work have reported it, so regardless you are going to have to pay it back (even if UC had made an error, you would still have to anyway, so it doesnt matter who made the mistake)

You will probably be able to arrange a repayment plan from future UC if you still qualify with accurate figures. It is always best to double check the figures on a benefits calculation site as it would have then been clear the amounts were incorrect as it seems to be based on an income £1000 lower than actually received.

sophtori

Thank you for your reply. I did the calculators and contacted UC before applying as they all seemed high. UC told me that the calculations were inaccurate because of third party deductions we have in place which aren’t factored in on the calculators so unfortunately this would not have helped us accurately either.

Mrsn

The chances are they will allow you to agree to a repayment plan leaving a bit of breathing room in terms of paying it back.

Its frustrating that this has happened I completely understand that. Just try not to get overwhelmed with the situation until you know exactly the amount to be repaid and if you are able to sort something out with the debt management department.