DWP forcing me to repay a debt caused by identity fraud

Robbie64

It will be something to do with the media attention. It's the same with people who write to the consumer columns in the newspapers because they've been battling against a big company to get a refund for a dodgy sofa, or a dodgy phone contract, a disastrous holiday or whatever. While batting it alone they get nowhere or are promised refunds that never appear despite numerous promises following numerous phone calls. The second the newspaper gets involved, the phone company, or the sofa company, the travel company or whatever suddenly have a change of mind and the refund is suddenly forthcoming. The fact you made it to the newspapers will have meant the DWP media office will have become involved and decisions made in stone are suddenly reversed.

NedS

myDWPhell said:

Question - to anyone in the know! 

Universal Credit issued their “change of decision” (clearing me of any wrongdoing) on Thursday (25/09/25). By Friday morning, the day after (26/09/25) DWP Debt Management were calling me to arrange repayment of the funds I’d been FORCED to pay under their “repayment plan” (not that I had anything to repay). By late Friday the funds had been repaid to my bank account - the same day! I’ve still not received direct notice from UC regarding their “change of decision”. It seems unusually prompt!

Is that standard practice?

DWP - Not fit for purpose!

I'm still 50:50 at best as to whether you will actually receive anything from DWP by post, or whether they will simply upload the letter to your UC claim.

Once debt management were instructed to cancel the debt and reimburse you, how else would they do this other than by contacting you. Because you never agreed to payment and set up a payment plan with them (by direct debit), they would not have your bank details as deductions were made directly from your pay by your employer. So debt management would have to contact you to gather your bank details to make the repayment. This is just standard operating practice for them.

myDWPhell

Robbie64 said:

It will be something to do with the media attention. It's the same with people who write to the consumer columns in the newspapers because they've been battling against a big company to get a refund for a dodgy sofa, or a dodgy phone contract, a disastrous holiday or whatever. While batting it alone they get nowhere or are promised refunds that never appear despite numerous promises following numerous phone calls. The second the newspaper gets involved, the phone company, or the sofa company, the travel company or whatever suddenly have a change of mind and the refund is suddenly forthcoming. The fact you made it to the newspapers will have meant the DWP media office will have become involved and decisions made in stone are suddenly reversed.

I did wonder! It popped into my mind this morning. The fact that Debt Management were phoning ME! Trying ti arrange repayment and the money was in my account within hours lol
it was a friend who suggested I “change tack”. She pointed out I was getting no where on my own. 

The media definitely helped. 

myDWPhell

NedS said:

myDWPhell said:

Question - to anyone in the know! 

Universal Credit issued their “change of decision” (clearing me of any wrongdoing) on Thursday (25/09/25). By Friday morning, the day after (26/09/25) DWP Debt Management were calling me to arrange repayment of the funds I’d been FORCED to pay under their “repayment plan” (not that I had anything to repay). By late Friday the funds had been repaid to my bank account - the same day! I’ve still not received direct notice from UC regarding their “change of decision”. It seems unusually prompt!

Is that standard practice?

DWP - Not fit for purpose!

I'm still 50:50 at best as to whether you will actually receive anything from DWP by post, or whether they will simply upload the letter to your UC claim.

Once debt management were instructed to cancel the debt and reimburse you, how else would they do this other than by contacting you. Because you never agreed to payment and set up a payment plan with them (by direct debit), they would not have your bank details as deductions were made directly from your pay by your employer. So debt management would have to contact you to gather your bank details to make the repayment. This is just standard operating practice for them.

Strangely I actually received a letter from DWP today! I was expecting a letter from the Tribunal (that’s what I was told) but presumably that will follow. I’ll post it on here later. 

As for the refund from DM. I initially became aware of the issue when I noticed the DEA on my pay. However, the DEA was suspended pending the initial Hijacked ID investigation. When they completed their investigation and informed me that they hadn’t changed their mind I was forced at that point to agree to a repayment plan. They told me if I didn’t “agree” they’d arrest it from my income once again or potentially pursue me through court action. So I have been paying via a DWP DM repayment plan for several months now. So they did have my account details. The weird thing was that it was DWP DM who were calling me within 12 hours of the DWP issuing their “change of decision”. I don’t think it would normally be that quick. It was all refunded to me that very day! 

myDWPhell

Not the “lapse” letter, that hasn’t arrived yet and is apparently coming from the Tribunal. However, this arrived yesterday. 

It only took, 12 months, 18 SARs, multiple complaints, 40+ hours of calls…

As far as I’m concerned the letter is insufficient, no full retraction (of all allegations), no apology…

Typical DWP, I tried calling the number at the top of the letter and it’s unobtainable - call fails every time - good old dependable DWP! 

DWP - Not fit for purpose! 

FIREDreamer

myDWPhell said:

Not the “lapse” letter, that hasn’t arrived yet and is apparently coming from the Tribunal. However, this arrived yesterday. 

It only took, 12 months, 18 SARs, multiple complaints, 40+ hours of calls…

As far as I’m concerned the letter is insufficient, no full retraction (of all allegations), no apology…

Typical DWP, I tried calling the number at the top of the letter and it’s unobtainable - call fails every time - good old dependable DWP! 

DWP - Not fit for purpose! 

“Her” Majesty? Is Charlie boy hiding something from us? 🤣

They need to updste their template - the pro forma obviously isn’t used often!

Muttleythefrog

I think I'd be so angry I'd refuse to accept their decision and go to appeal... but then sense probably would prevail in my mind. They have discovered a material fact that replaces presumably what they considered a 'material fact' that you did make the claim.
I wonder if you're able to get hold of documentation they intended (or had) supplied to Tribunals service

Robbie64

The phone number on the letter is no longer valid. It's the phone number of what used to be the Universal Credit live service, one of two business areas that used to exist for UC, the other being Universal credit full service. Only the latter survives as does its phone number 0800 328 5644. The old live service was the first version of Universal Credit and hasn't existed for a few years. As FIREDreamer has posted, the DWP need to update their template. Since it was created (possibly back in 2017 when the old number switched to the one on your letter) we've lost both the previous version of Universal Credit and the Queen!

myDWPhell

FIREDreamer said:

myDWPhell said:

Not the “lapse” letter, that hasn’t arrived yet and is apparently coming from the Tribunal. However, this arrived yesterday. 

It only took, 12 months, 18 SARs, multiple complaints, 40+ hours of calls…

As far as I’m concerned the letter is insufficient, no full retraction (of all allegations), no apology…

Typical DWP, I tried calling the number at the top of the letter and it’s unobtainable - call fails every time - good old dependable DWP! 

DWP - Not fit for purpose! 

“Her” Majesty? Is Charlie boy hiding something from us? 🤣

They need to updste their template - the pro forma obviously isn’t used often!

Well spotted lol 😂 

myDWPhell

Muttleythefrog said:

I think I'd be so angry I'd refuse to accept their decision and go to appeal... but then sense probably would prevail in my mind. They have discovered a material fact that replaces presumably what they considered a 'material fact' that you did make the claim.
I wonder if you're able to get hold of documentation they intended (or had) supplied to Tribunals service

You’re right, I’m absolutely furious. I did wonder if I would still be in a position to force it through to the Tribunal. I’d genuinely be tempted. They were so forceful, strident and forthright in their accusations in their MRN. There was no, we allege that you …. It was all, you DID this, you DID that … Now it’s all, oh no, actually you didn’t. I really am angry. 

I never considered getting hold of the documentation they’d intended to use. That would be fascinating. Mind you, given that up until the MRN they failed to provide me with any information I requested I doubt they’d give it to me.