Many Thanks.

Hi, Last May I had a visit from a customer compliance officer because I was on Income support while being a carer for my disabled partner. My partner had an ISA which I didn't know about at the time and it took our household savings over the lower limit of £6000 for savings while on income support. We had to send in all bank statements last August etc going back to when the ISA was started. We heard nothing until last week when I received a letter stating overpayment of £6000. The overpayment period is from jan 2005 to aug 2011 when they received our statements and reduced my income support accordingly. So the £6000 overpayment refers to jan 2005 to august 2011. However my disabled partner is now 64 years of age and has been entitled to claim pension credit (instead of me claiming income support) from 2008. We didn't know that she (we) could claim pension credit instead of income support until the CAB told us this year. Can we offset the income support overpayment against what we should have been getting on pension credit? If we had been claiming pension credit from october 2008 when my partner turned 60 then we would have been allowed to have up to £9,999 before any deductions so that would reduce the £6000 overpayment. The capital limits (before deductions are made) are currently £6000 for income support (you then lose £1 per week per £250 over £6000) and £10,000 for Pension credit (you then lose £1 per week for every £500 over £10,000). So, had we been claiming pension credit since 2008 then there would have been overpayment up that date but not from that date. I have received the Breakdown of the overpayment calculations and because our savings cash and capital was around £8,000 then the overpayment as they see it is for the full period of 7 years. I have read somewhere that we may be able to have this overpayment reduced because we should have been claiming pension credit and we would not then have been over the capital threshold since 2008 and not have incurred the overpayment after that date. If anyone could point me in the right direction or to confirm this (or not) that one might offset the other then I would be very grateful. Thanks again P.

i, Last May I had a visit from a customer compliance officer because I was on Income support while being a carer for my disabled partner. My partner had an ISA which I didn't know about at the time and it took our household savings over the lower limit for savings while on income support. We had to send in all bank statements etc going back to when the ISA was started. We heard nothing until last week when I received a letter stating Overpayment of £6000. The overpayment period is from jan 2005 to aug 2011 when they received our statements and reduced my income support accordingly. So the £6000 overpayment refers to jan 2005 to august 2011. However my disabled partner is now 64 years of age and has been entitled to claim pension credit (instead of me claiming income support) from 2008. We didn't know that she (we) could claim pension credit instead of income support until the CAB told us this year. The capital limits (before deductions are made) are currently £6000 for income support (you then lose £1 per week per £250 over £6000) and £10,000 for Pension credit (you then lose £1 per week for every £500 over £10,000). So, had we been claiming pension credit since 2008 then there would have been overpayment up that date but not from that date. I have received the breakdown of the overpayment calculations and because our savings cash and capital was around £8,000 then the overpayment as they see it is for the full period of 7 years. I have read somewhere that we may be able to have this overpayment reduced because we should have been claiming pension credit and we would not then have been over the capital threshold since 2008 and not have incurred the overpayment after that date. If anyone could point me in the right direction or to confirm this (or not) that one might offset the other then I would be very grateful. Thanks again P.