Where to start on questioning a dwp debt

fizzly

Yesterday i recieved a letter from DWP debt management saying i owe over 6k. The amount is the exact amount i was paid in UC last year when i claimed jsa. At this point i just want to know their reasons for reclaiming this money. I tried calling the debt management nunber but the recorded message says they don't deal with you if you are disputing the debt. 
They said to contact gov benefits but i'm not sure which number or address to write to. I'm surprised they don't explain exactly why you owe the money when telling you to pay it back. I didn't het any other nottification of this.

calcotti

Do you have access to your UC journal? Look to see if there are any outstanding tasks. DWP have been carrying out an exercise to verify claims that were made last year when normal verification checks were suspended. They are asking people to confirm identity or tenancy details (for example). If claimants do not respond DWP are retrospectively treating the whole claim as invalid and all payments are therefore regarded as an overpayment which is recoverable.

If this is the case and you provide the information requested you may be able to get the decision reversed.

The process is very unfair and people who no longer receive UC will not be checking their journals and therefore do not know there is anything amiss. There is a discussion about the validity of what DWP are doing here
https://www.rightsnet.org.uk/forums/viewthread/17067/

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Ask UC in your journal or on the phone for a written statement of reasons of the debt.

Alice_Holt

fizzly said:

Yesterday i recieved a letter from DWP debt management saying i owe over 6k. The amount is the exact amount i was paid in UC last year....

     I'd suggest emailing your MP and asking for their help in getting this information from UC.

     As:
     i) The DWP often respond quicker and more competently to MP interventions;
    ii)  MP's should be made aware of issues within the DWP affecting their constituents. Doing so helps some MP's increase their knowledge of the benefits system -
     https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/mar/21/stephen-crabb-facts-disability-aid-cuts-benefit

Scotch_Bonnet_

I am interested to know how you got on. I have been asked to repay £2K as well, the debt management people said UC has requested it, UC said they have no way of contacting them to stop it, Im just going round in circles!

Robbie64

Scotch_Bonnet_ said:

I am interested to know how you got on. I have been asked to repay £2K as well, the debt management people said UC has requested it, UC said they have no way of contacting them to stop it, Im just going round in circles!

Debt Management will (attempt) to recover what they have been informed is an overpayment. They are the people you will need to negotiate a repayment amount with. You can query the actual overpayment amount with UC but if it is correct then it is Debt Management you need to deal with.

calcotti

Robbie64 said: Debt Management will (attempt) to recover what they have been informed is an overpayment. They are the people you will need to negotiate a repayment amount with. You can query the actual overpayment amount with UC but if it is correct then it is Debt Management you need to deal with.

But if it is a UC debt and UC have now rescinded it then it is UC that need to inform Debt Management.
The circumstances are unclear. Scotch_Bonnet_ what is your UC situation?

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Debt Management will not and cannot stop the recovery, they can only manage the manner in which it will be recovered.

UC will not tell Debt Management to stop the recovery unless the overpayment is decided by UC to not be an overpayment. 

If you want to stop the overpayment you have to do what I suggested to the OP.  Ask UC for a written statement of reasons to explain why there is an overpayment.  Then come back here with those reasons or go to another place of benefit advice.  

Kevin_AdviceNI

Hi all, I would just like to draw your attention to this important Parliamentary Petition, and I would ask you to please sign and share, Kevin, Advice NI.

Restore confidence in the benefit overpayment recovery waiver (write-off) system - Petitions (parliament.uk)

Restore confidence in the benefit overpayment recovery waiver (write-off) system

The Secretary of State needs to restore confidence in the overpayment recovery waiver system by ensuring everyone affected by overpayments are made aware of the existence of waivers and how to seek one, and monitoring decision making to ensure that waivers are applied correctly.

The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has the discretion to waive recovery of a benefit overpayment "where recovery is detrimental to the health or welfare of the debtor or a member of their family".

Benefit overpayment recovery information evidences that by monetary value, only 0.006% of Universal Credit Official Error (DWP mistake) overpayments were written off (waivered) by DWP using the guidance contained within the benefit overpayment recovery guide (Chapter 8 – Write-off and waivers).