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Have been paid double Winter Fuel Allowance

My husband and I quality for a Winter Fuel Allowance. Both of us have just been overpaid, receiving £200 each, so now have to go through the rigmarole of trying to find out how we refund the surplus amount.
Is there any Government department, anywhere who can get things right? Has anybody else been overpaid and is this yet another incompetence scandal lurking in the wings?

Comments

  • Biggles
    Biggles Posts: 8,209 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Primrose wrote: »
    My husband and I quality for a Winter Fuel Allowance. Both of us have just been overpaid, receiving £200 each, so now have to go through the rigmarole of trying to find out how we refund the surplus amount.
    Just ring the number on the letter you each have and leave it up to them, they'll probably deduct it from a future pension payment.
  • Mikeyorks
    Mikeyorks Posts: 10,377 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Primrose wrote: »
    Has anybody else been overpaid and is this yet another incompetence scandal lurking in the wings?

    Actually - I find that quite unusual. I know a number of people in receipt of WFA and where circumstances have changed (other partner becoming entitled / one partner dying) during this last year .... and they've got it exactly right.

    They must think you live in a particularly cold place!
    If you want to test the depth of the water .........don't use both feet !
  • This happened to us. When we repaid it we were told that if we hadn't no one would have had reclaimed it. So I wondereded then if we'd have gone on year after year getting double?
  • CIS
    CIS Posts: 12,260 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    When my wife worked for the Pension Service she was drafted in to deal with winter fuel queries - the policy they were told was that winter fuel wouldn't be reclaimed but if you wanted to re-pay then you would be given an address to return the money to.
    I no longer work in Council Tax Recovery but instead work as a specialist Council Tax paralegal assisting landlords and Council Tax payers with council tax disputes and valuation tribunals. My views are my own reading of the law and you should always check with the local authority in question.
  • CIS wrote: »
    When my wife worked for the Pension Service she was drafted in to deal with winter fuel queries - the policy they were told was that winter fuel wouldn't be reclaimed but if you wanted to re-pay then you would be given an address to return the money to.

    This baffles me. If you were paid twice from income support they would pull you in for benefit fraud. :confused:
    Wow, I got 3 *, when did that happen :j:T:p
    It is not illegal to open another persons mail unless you intend to commit fraud - this is frequently incorrectly posted:)
    I live in my head - I find it's safer there:p
  • CIS
    CIS Posts: 12,260 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    The eligibility is picked up through scans of the DWP conputer systems, if it picks things up twice it because of an error in their scans and deemed as official error.
    I no longer work in Council Tax Recovery but instead work as a specialist Council Tax paralegal assisting landlords and Council Tax payers with council tax disputes and valuation tribunals. My views are my own reading of the law and you should always check with the local authority in question.
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