Overpayments are benefit payments that have been paid out to people who are not entitled to them. Often, the cause for this is people failing to tell us about changes in their circumstances.
If we find you were overpaid, we will post your notification letter online. You can find it in your Citizen Access Benefits account. See our Citizen Access Benefits page to see how to do this. We will give you details of:
- the reason for the overpayment
- when it occurred
- the amount to be recovered
- the method of recovery
We fine households for not telling us about a change that caused an overpayment. For more information see our civil penalties page.
How to reduce your overpayment
If you did not tell us about a change in your circumstances and we overpaid you, we can look back over the period of the overpayment and review your entitlement.
To do this you will need to provide evidence of all your income and savings for the period of the overpayment. We can then assess the amount of benefit that you would have been entitled to if we had known your correct circumstances at the time.
For example, if you started work but didn’t tell us, we would cancel your benefit back to when you started work and an overpayment would be created. If you then provided evidence of your wages and were still entitled to benefit, the amount you would qualify for would then be deducted from your overpayment.
We can only use Underlying Entitlement to reduce an overpayment. We cannot use it to pay you any extra benefit. You will then be notified of the remaining overpayment balance that you will need to pay back.
We need proof of income and savings. Without it, we can't assess a claim for Underlying Entitlement and your overpayment will stay recoverable. You normally need to provide evidence of your income and savings within 1 month of the overpayment being notified to you.
How we recover overpayments
We can recover housing benefit in several ways.
Reducing benefit payments
If you remain entitled to housing benefit, we will deduct a standard amount from your weekly award.
If you get housing benefit from another local authority in England, Wales, or Scotland, we can ask them to apply a deduction on our behalf.
If you get a benefit such as Universal Credit or Personal Independence Payments, we can ask the Department of Work and Pensions to apply a deduction on our behalf.
Invoice
If you no longer get housing benefit from us, we will send you an invoice. Details of how to pay the invoice will be shown on the back.
Direct Earnings Attachment
If you are working, we can ask your employer to apply a Direct Earnings Attachment (DEA).
For more information see our:
How to repay
Repayment amounts are advised on the invoice and there are a number of ways payments can be made:
Online
You can pay in full using your debit or credit card.
24 hour telephone payments
You can pay by debit or credit card using our 24 hour telephone payments number 01344 352007 and follow the instructions given.
Please quote your invoice number which begins with a 4.
Alternatively, call 01344 351309 during office hours.
In person by cash or debit card
You can pay by cash or debit card at any Post Office, or by cash at any shop showing the Payzone retail sign.
You will need to take your invoice with you.
Through your bank or building society
If you would like to pay by Bacs or standing order, use the following account details:
Lloyds
Sort Code: 30-91-11
Account Number: 01893341
Quote your invoice number which begins with a 4.
If you are unable to repay
If you are unable to repay at the requested rate, email fit@bracknell-forest.gov.uk to make arrange a repayment plan.
If you make no contact or offer of repayment, we will seek recovery through either:
- if you are in receipt of benefits, for example either Universal Credit, Personal Independence Payment, State Pension, Pension Credit, Employment Support Allowance, we can ask the Department of Work and Pensions to apply a deduction on our behalf
- the county court - this will result in more costs being incurred which will be added to the outstanding debt and will also result in a County Court Judgement
- a deduction from your salary