Recovering an overpayment
We can recover the overpayment from:
- you, and in some circumstances your partner
- someone acting on your behalf
- the person to who it was paid to, including a landlord or their agent
Reducing your housing benefits
If the overpayment is recoverable from you and you're still entitled to Housing Benefit from us, we can reduce the payments by a set amount.
If the level of deductions is causing you severe hardship you should contact the Benefits team explaining your situation and offering a lower amount.
Reducing your welfare benefits
If you're receiving benefit payments from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), we can ask them to make deductions in order to recover the overpayment.
This could apply if you're in receipt of certain DWP Benefits including:
- Income Support
- Job Seekers Allowance
- Incapacity Benefit
- State Retirement Pension
Deduction rates
£11.10 per week for most cases except those classed as being caused by fraudulent action when the weekly rate is £18.50. Both amounts could be increased by up to 50% of the disregarded amount of earnings, charitable or voluntary payments, war or war widows pension.
These figures will be up-rated annually in April in line with increases decided by the government. They'll be revised to take account of rent liability that is adjusted to take account of rent free weeks.
Weekly Housing Benefit payable would not be reduced to less than 50p per week.