Asked to pay back £500

Bethnalgreen71

Hi, I have just received a letter from my council to pay back the £500 I applied for in dec 2020 when I had to self isolate as my kids were positive . They’re saying I didn’t have loss of earnings so have to pay it back , just wondering is this legit or has anyone else been asked to repay it back ?. When I applied for it I was expecting a loss of over £500 but when my dec wage came in , my boss paid all of us carers ( I work in care home ) a bonus of £500 as a thank you for working through the pandemic, which was a surprise to us all so obviously with that bonus I didn’t have a loss of earnings but didn’t know this at time of applying for this help . 

Obviously I will pay this back if I have to but was wondering if anyone else has had to or heard anything like this .

lisyloo

If it’s a bonus then you did have a loss of your Normal earnings.
is there a way you can reply?
an appeals process?

CKhalvashi

You should be able to contact the council to explain your circumstances with them.

If you have in writing from your management that this was a bonus, you should be ok, however contact with a full and open disclosure will be essential.