Can anyone help please

[wookie]

I got home tonight to find a letter from the dept. of work and pensions stating that I owed £2293 and they wanted the money by 23/9. I hadn't a clue what this was for. So after the shock passed and I had picked myself up off the floor, I phoned them.

Apparently between june and november '93 I was overpaid income support and from november '94 to june '95 I was overpaid unemployment benifit. The dates do fit with the 18 months I was out of work but I have had no knowledge of the debt until now.

They say that they have detailed why the money is owed in previous letters but I have received none and the girl on the phone said there was £80 pound court costs even though I have never been to court about this. She could not give me a date of when the case was heard.

Can anyone tell me how I can find out if this money is really owed and not some department cock up. If after 13 years they can still demand it back and any advice on where I should go or who I should see to try and get it sorted out.

Thanks in advance.

[Skell18]

Go to the citizens advice beauru!! Easiest thing to do and its free, they will go through everything with you. It happened to my partner with his disability benefit after his stroke. If they overpaid you it is their fault not yours and if they didnt spot it, tough, their problem not yours. The time scale too is in your favour as they have had over 10 years to spot it and correct it. Call you local CAB make an app and let them help you. Kensington and Chelsea council went after my partner for just over £2000 in over payment, the CAB took it on and it was sorted and they wrote it off.

 

Hang in there and don't give up, we had a 2 letters saying that they wouldnt write it off before they did so keep your chin up.

 

Let me know how it works out.

[Skell18]

Also under the freedom of information act you can ask them for all relevant documentation on the case, including when it went to court. Don't let them fob you off either, they have to give you the info you ask for, it is the law! If they don't then report them to the information comissioner. If it is thier error you will win, but go to the CAB they know what they are doing with these types of cases. Again best of luck.

[mutzi]

This is not an authoratative opinion, I suggest trying the citizens advice bureau and phoning DWP to ask them to wait until you've had a chance to speak to them.

 

Under the old benefits system (before tax credits) you could only be made to pay it back if the overpayment was your fault, ie. false information, not notifying changes in circumstances. If it was their mistake you shouldn't owe anything.

 

If you do owe money but this is the first they've contacted you, you should apply for the judgement to be set aside, the £80 charge dropped and a longer repayment period than 2 days.