| Question / Issue |
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| What happens if we pay you too much benefit? |
| Answer / Solution |
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| If you have had a change to your circumstances, you may have been paid benefit you are not entitled to. When we have paid you too much benefit, we call this an `overpayment`.
When this happens, we work out the new benefit entitlement and will send you a letter explaining the change. The letter will tell you:
- why we gave you too much benefit
- how much the overpayment is
- if you have to pay back the amount
- how you can appeal if you think this is wrong
If you are overpaid Housing Benefit and you have to pay it back, we can get the money back from any new benefit entitlement you are awarded. Will usually do this by weekly deductions of up to £8.40 per week from the new weekly amount you receive.
If are no longer entitled to Housing Benefit, we will send an invoice for the overpaid amount. We will usually send the invoice be to the person who actual received the benefit. This may be the landlord where payments are made direct.
If you receive an invoice and cannot pay back the amount in one payment, you can arrange to pay us back by regular payments which you can afford.
Where Council Tax Benefit has been overpaid we will send you a revised Council Tax bill, and you will usually have to pay more Council Tax. |
FAQ ID # 191
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