DWP Debt Management Letters

TomW1988

Morning all,
A very quick one here please, any help would be greatly appreciative.
Last Friday, i received a letter from the DWP Debt team stating about repaying £1961.22, needing to contact them by the 4th December to arrange for payment.
Fortunately i was off friday so tried the number on the letter and all 3 options to get through to someone.
Problem is, the call's keep getting cut off.  I have tried the same today and the same issue!
The letter states no contact and they'll proceed with collection via my employer or via a debt agency?
I have only been at this property since 28th August, and have no idea why they have asking for this money? I am 32 years old and worked all my life.
The only thing i believe it could be is from a letter i had over 3 years ago at my old address and how it was about benefits my ex wife was illegally claiming? I told them they need to speak to her and believed this was being dealt with? I know my ex has been classed as homeless the last 12 months but this is silly now.
Can anyone help me? Is there an email address i could reach them on? Would a recorded letter work? 

KatrinaWaves

Did you have joint benefit claims with your ex wife?

calcotti

When you were a couple were you claiming Tax Credits? The debt may relate to that. Do you still have the letters from 3 years ago.

As regards contacting them I think you should keep trying for the next few days. Keep a record of each time you try. There are no other methods of contact listed online. https://secure.dwp.gov.uk/find-out-who-to-contact-about-money-taken-off-your-universal-credit-payment/benefit-overpayment-budgeting-and-crisis-loan-repayment

If you fail to get through possibly a recorded letter listing all the times you have tried to call would be useful as record. You should state that you wish to discuss the debt and they should not pass it to a debt collection agency until you have had the opportunity to do so.

Here is their customer service standards document (for what it's worth). https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dwp-debt-management-performance-data/dwp-debt-management-customer-service-standards

TomW1988

calcotti said:

When you were a couple were you claiming Tax Credits? The debt may relate to that. Do you still have the letters from 3 years ago.

As regards contacting them I think you should keep trying for the next few days. Keep a record of each time you try. There are no other methods of contact listed online. https://secure.dwp.gov.uk/find-out-who-to-contact-about-money-taken-off-your-universal-credit-payment/benefit-overpayment-budgeting-and-crisis-loan-repayment

If you fail to get through possibly a recorded letter listing all the times you have tried to call would be useful as record. You should state that you wish to discuss the debt and they should not pass it to a debt collection agency until you have had the opportunity to do so.

Here is their customer service standards document (for what it's worth). https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dwp-debt-management-performance-data/dwp-debt-management-customer-service-standards

Hi,

Thank you for replying.  
I was earning too much to be eligible to make any benefit claims, so if it is what it could be, I am unsure how she managed to claim for such benefits.  (If this is the case what would i be best doing?)
I was thinking of the recorded letter? Should i wait a few more days of trying on the phone before doing this? I am working from home, so using the phone occasionally wont be any issue.  
The letter I received last friday (20/11/20) was dated the 13th November.  So its taken a week to get to me, losing valuable time.
Hope you see this response.

calcotti

TomW1988 said:

calcotti said:

When you were a couple were you claiming Tax Credits? The debt may relate to that. Do you still have the letters from 3 years ago.

As regards contacting them I think you should keep trying for the next few days. Keep a record of each time you try. There are no other methods of contact listed online. https://secure.dwp.gov.uk/find-out-who-to-contact-about-money-taken-off-your-universal-credit-payment/benefit-overpayment-budgeting-and-crisis-loan-repayment

If you fail to get through possibly a recorded letter listing all the times you have tried to call would be useful as record. You should state that you wish to discuss the debt and they should not pass it to a debt collection agency until you have had the opportunity to do so.

Here is their customer service standards document (for what it's worth). https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dwp-debt-management-performance-data/dwp-debt-management-customer-service-standards

Hi,

Thank you for replying.  
I was earning too much to be eligible to make any benefit claims, so if it is what it could be, I am unsure how she managed to claim for such benefits.  (If this is the case what would i be best doing?)
I was thinking of the recorded letter? Should i wait a few more days of trying on the phone before doing this? I am working from home, so using the phone occasionally wont be any issue.  
The letter I received last friday (20/11/20) was dated the 13th November.  So its taken a week to get to me, losing valuable time.
Hope you see this response.

You didn’t say whether you still have the letter from a few years ago which may provide a bit more information about what the underlying stated debt is about.

if it were me I would give it a couple more days of persistent calling before writing. Having written I would still keep calling.

TomW1988

calcotti said:

TomW1988 said:

calcotti said:

When you were a couple were you claiming Tax Credits? The debt may relate to that. Do you still have the letters from 3 years ago.

As regards contacting them I think you should keep trying for the next few days. Keep a record of each time you try. There are no other methods of contact listed online. https://secure.dwp.gov.uk/find-out-who-to-contact-about-money-taken-off-your-universal-credit-payment/benefit-overpayment-budgeting-and-crisis-loan-repayment

If you fail to get through possibly a recorded letter listing all the times you have tried to call would be useful as record. You should state that you wish to discuss the debt and they should not pass it to a debt collection agency until you have had the opportunity to do so.

Here is their customer service standards document (for what it's worth). https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dwp-debt-management-performance-data/dwp-debt-management-customer-service-standards

Hi,

Thank you for replying.  
I was earning too much to be eligible to make any benefit claims, so if it is what it could be, I am unsure how she managed to claim for such benefits.  (If this is the case what would i be best doing?)
I was thinking of the recorded letter? Should i wait a few more days of trying on the phone before doing this? I am working from home, so using the phone occasionally wont be any issue.  
The letter I received last friday (20/11/20) was dated the 13th November.  So its taken a week to get to me, losing valuable time.
Hope you see this response.

You didn’t say whether you still have the letter from a few years ago which may provide a bit more information about what the underlying stated debt is about.

if it were me I would big enough it a couple more days of persistent calling before writing. Having written I would still keep calling.

calcotti said:

TomW1988 said:

calcotti said:

When you were a couple were you claiming Tax Credits? The debt may relate to that. Do you still have the letters from 3 years ago.

As regards contacting them I think you should keep trying for the next few days. Keep a record of each time you try. There are no other methods of contact listed online. https://secure.dwp.gov.uk/find-out-who-to-contact-about-money-taken-off-your-universal-credit-payment/benefit-overpayment-budgeting-and-crisis-loan-repayment

If you fail to get through possibly a recorded letter listing all the times you have tried to call would be useful as record. You should state that you wish to discuss the debt and they should not pass it to a debt collection agency until you have had the opportunity to do so.

Here is their customer service standards document (for what it's worth). https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dwp-debt-management-performance-data/dwp-debt-management-customer-service-standards

Hi,

Thank you for replying.  
I was earning too much to be eligible to make any benefit claims, so if it is what it could be, I am unsure how she managed to claim for such benefits.  (If this is the case what would i be best doing?)
I was thinking of the recorded letter? Should i wait a few more days of trying on the phone before doing this? I am working from home, so using the phone occasionally wont be any issue.  
The letter I received last friday (20/11/20) was dated the 13th November.  So its taken a week to get to me, losing valuable time.
Hope you see this response.

You didn’t say whether you still have the letter from a few years ago which may provide a bit more information about what the underlying stated debt is about.

if it were me I would big enough it a couple more days of persistent calling before writing. Having written I would still keep calling.

Hi.

Relating to what i feel it could be, no i unfortunately don't.  

TomW1988

KatrinaWaves said:

Did you have joint benefit claims with your ex wife?

Hi Katrina,

Didn't see your comment.

No we didn't, not to my knowledge anyways as i was earning too much.

calcotti

TomW1988 said:

KatrinaWaves said:

Did you have joint benefit claims with your ex wife?

No we didn't, not to my knowledge anyways as i was earning too much.

I do wonder if your ex claimed Tax Credits as a couple. I can't see any other benefit that is likely to have given rise to a debt - however we are guessing.

TomW1988

calcotti said:

TomW1988 said:

KatrinaWaves said:

Did you have joint benefit claims with your ex wife?

No we didn't, not to my knowledge anyways as i was earning too much.

I do wonder if your ex claimed Tax Credits as a couple. I can't see any other benefit that is likely to have given rise to a debt - however we are guessing.

If that is the case, and i manage to speak with the DWP over this.  Do you know where I would stand?
Literally been worrying for the last few days since the letter.

calcotti

TomW1988 said:

calcotti said:

TomW1988 said:

KatrinaWaves said:

Did you have joint benefit claims with your ex wife?

No we didn't, not to my knowledge anyways as i was earning too much.

I do wonder if your ex claimed Tax Credits as a couple. I can't see any other benefit that is likely to have given rise to a debt - however we are guessing.

If that is the case, and i manage to speak with the DWP over this.  Do you know where I would stand?
Literally been worrying for the last few days since the letter.

Your first question is obviously to find out what the debt is for. If it is for Tax Credits they will not know the details - they will simply have been notified of the debt by HMRC.

They will expect you to payback the debt in one go but if you can’t you should be able to negotiate a payment plan. If the debtis passed to debt collectors there will then be debt agency fees to pay as well as the debt.

TomW1988

calcotti said:

TomW1988 said:

calcotti said:

TomW1988 said:

KatrinaWaves said:

Did you have joint benefit claims with your ex wife?

No we didn't, not to my knowledge anyways as i was earning too much.

I do wonder if your ex claimed Tax Credits as a couple. I can't see any other benefit that is likely to have given rise to a debt - however we are guessing.

If that is the case, and i manage to speak with the DWP over this.  Do you know where I would stand?
Literally been worrying for the last few days since the letter.

Your first question is obviously to find out what the debt is for. If it is for Tax Credits they will not know the details - they will simply have been notified of the debt by HMRC.

They will expect you to payback the debt in one go but if you can’t you should be able to negotiate a payment plan. If the debtis passed to debt collectors there will then be debt agency fees to pay as well as the debt.

But if my ex has done this, passing over the debt to me, without my knowledge, then i would still be liable to this?