Benefit Overpayments

If you have received too much Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit, the Council will normally want that money repaid. Overpayments are usually caused by a change in your financial circumstances, or a failure to tell the council as soon as a change occurs.

The council can recover most overpayments. The only exception may be when the council or the Department for Work and Pensions (formally the Benefits Agency) office made a mistake, and you could not be expected to know there had been an overpayment.

If you have been given too much Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit, we will write to you about the overpayment, and tell you:

• the reason for the overpayment
• how much Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit you have been overpaid
• what period the overpayment relates to
• whether the overpayment will be recovered, and how.

If you disagree with our decision to recover the overpayment, you have the right to ask the council to look at this again. You should put your request in writing within 1 calendar month of the decision date.

Recovery of Overpaid Benefit

If you are still receiving Housing Benefit, we will recover any Housing Benefit overpayment by deduction from your entitlement. If you are not on benefit, an invoice will be issued to recover the overpaid sum.

Council Tax Benefit overpayments are usually added back on to your Council Tax account, and an amended bill is sent to you.