Hi there last August I started working 16 hours a week was a very stressful time as I lost my dad and stepmother within a month of each other. I thought i would get full housing benefit which I didn't only got 200 a month so had to pay 100 a month. A work colleague told me that as long as my basic wage stayed the same I could do overtime so have been doing quite abit every month. Have had a letter from my local authority asking to see my last 2 payslips and after looking on their website realise I should have told them about working the overtime. It worksout I have been overpaid 1800 pounds do you know what will happen once they get my payslips?

Any feedback would be appreciated

Short answer: The local authority will want the money back.

They will either demand it be repaid in full, reduce your current award by X amount, or arrange a repayment plan. In all probability, if your total weekly earnings are above a certain threshold, the L.A. will close the claim down and ask for a repayment in full. If this is the case, do not panic - Get in contact with them and offer a repayment plan at a rate that you can realistically afford.

It may be worth your while paying the L.A. a visit in person and taking all the payslips since you started doing overtime. If the overtime has varied over the last six months or so, the overpayment may not be as bad as you expect.

Thank You I will send my recent 2 payslips over and wait for the outcome I am just worried I will be taken to court over this

Highly unlikely that you would be taken to court. You should be notifying the L.A. of a change in circumstances (which includes overtime) within a reasonable period. Stretching it a bit, but six months could be a reasonable period for some.

Prosecutions are usually for fraud over an extended period of time and for substantially more than your estimate.

As there is a question of overpayment they will prob insist on seeing all payslips.

I would scan all of them in and email them all just to streamline things.

Thanks guys I will do as you suggest