Hi everyone

Well here I am again!

This time I have been sent an overpayment letter from the DWP.

It is for almost £1000.00.

I have asked for a breakdown and their breakdown figures are correct but, to me THEY are wrong.

The so called debt is a period from 2013 to August 2017 …… 5 years!

They claim they sent me a letter informing me of the overpayment in October 2017, a letter I have never received, because if I had they would have had my reply on the day I got the letter, something both my wife and I have done at all steps of the way with them.

Every time we received a letter from them we contacted them to confirm what they have said and in every case we have been informed that the figures are correct.

Every year we have sent in to them every bit of information they have asked for including copies of our tax returns and other income including an occupational pension I get.

There was a couple of times we asked if the amount we were getting for our Pension credits were correct and if the weren’t how do we pay the money back? The reply was that if it was wrong we would be expected to repay the money!

OK, so now my question is how on earth did this amount accumulate over 5 years and not be picked up right at the beginning? (We also have a boat load of other questions like why did they “ignore” or figures they asked for which included tax returns and P60’s etc.).

I am sorting out a S.A.R. to send to them, but they are going to take a third of my state pension which will leave us with about £25 per week to buy food after bills, council tax, utilities etc.

Any help will be very much appreciated.

Thank you in advance.

Yes get SAR off to them.

Don't wait for SAR to come back. send a letter to them by standard recorded delivery, saying that you believe they amount stated is wrong. Ask them to send your file off to be checked by another officer and for them to provide a full breakdown calculation of the amount they have calculated.

Advise them of your financial situation in the letter and ask for a smaller longer term deduction to be made, with the deduction amount to be reviewed by the officer checking the calculation.

In your letter explain the number of communications you have had with them over the years and what you were told. If Government made a mistake, you would still be liable for overpayment, but the repayment might be allowed over a longer period.