Money back after discharge of Bankruptcy

Ponygirl1

Does anyone know if its normal to get money back after being discharged from a Bankruptcy. My elderly mother was conned out of her life savings and ran up large credit card debts while the man who stole her money kept telling her he would pay her back. She declared herself bankrupt when i found out what was going on. This was quite a few years ago now and she has been discharged for several years. She received a letter to say she was due a pay-out following her discharge. The telephone number on the letter was the same as that advertised on the Government insolvency website and when we called the number we spoke to the author of the letter so it all seems genuine but i don't understand how,  when my mother was so in debt , is she due any money back? She didn't pay anything to the Bankruptcy people so where is this money coming from? The email says she is due a rebate as a "return to debtor payment". Any advise would be great I'm worried that this is another scam. 

la531983

The easiest way to find out would be to get her to ring the Insolvency Service, using the number on their website (not the one on the letter), and ask.

But seems you already have done that. Did she make IPA payments for 36 months afterwards? There could have been a surplus. 

Ponygirl1

Hi no she didn't make any payments - and yes we called the number on the government website which was the same number as printed on the letter and it did go to the insolvency service. 

la531983

Did you ask then? But yes it seems odd that she is getting money back when she didnt pay a single penny in an IPA.

Jude57

Ponygirl1 said:

Hi no she didn't make any payments - and yes we called the number on the government website which was the same number as printed on the letter and it did go to the insolvency service. 

Only the Insolvency Service can really answer the question in any detail. What did they say when you spoke to them?

The only things I can think of if your mother never made any payments to the IS is that either an asset such as a pension surrendered in Bankruptcy (depending when exactly your mother's Bankruptcy was) has matured and, after deducting their costs, the IS are paying a surplus to your mother or, however unlikely, some of the money she was defrauded of has been recovered, possibly following a Proceeds of Crime Act seizure of, say, a house or other asset bought by the criminal.

Coldchef73

Hi I received a letter yesterday with the same thing about being owed money from the Official receivers office after bankruptcy. I went bankrupt in 2003 so 21yrs on and I'm owed something and I'm sure i didn't pay it all back, but i had paid back some for the 3 years of being under official receiver.

sourcrates

@Coldchef73

Unfortunately this post is from 2023, and the OP never came back to update us.

Contact the Insolvency service yourself to determine how genuine this may be, it seems quite strange they should be contacting you after 21 years.

Go to .Gov website and search for "insolvency service".

ManyWays

You can try to contact your official receivers office if you still have the details or call the IS helpline 0300 678 0016. Can you let us know what happens please!

Coldchef73

Hi update on my letter returned relevant documents and today received my letter back and yes they have money to give me which is a surprise at how much seeing though I didn't pay it all back. My letter which said i was owed money came from there ppl department.

ManyWays

Did you or any claims firm on your behalf make a PPI claim related to a debt taken out after your bankruptcy? If that money was sent to the official receiver, it would be returned to you.