thanks for reply mikey........i did have an IUC approx 5 months ago and it looked like i have an overpayment rem my capital from what evidence they showed me....i maintained it was not intentional and was a genuine mistake!.....the overpayment letter also mentioned i can appeal the amount so i think i will speak to cab or welfare rights to get help with this.....even though i dont know what good it will do IF they have already worked it all out??? i presume it is likely to go onto a summons too as reading on this board they do this as standard with amounts over 2k???

hi thanks flumps the step mum has two appointees on her bank book but her step daughter sends the cheques to pay to the care home and other living expenses as the other appointee lives overseas..........and as far as i am aware the social worker was dealing with most if not all of the paperwork when the step mum went into full time care due to main appointee (actual daughter) living abroad........she just needs some advice on how best to go about informing the council re the mistake so she can put it right i think? she herself was having problems at that particular time and continues to do so............ she admits she took her eye off the ball i suppose but feels she has been left with the mess to sort out. the money is in the step mums account and has not been spent. more advice would be appreciated

a close friends relative has asked me to put this on the forum..... it is with regards to a benefit that her step mother is still getting since she went into a full time care home. attendance allowance i think its called..... well any way she noticed after receiving a letter from the council stating the increase on the payment this month.........she was under the impression this had been stopped????anyway cut a long story short after some investigation it seems that her step mother IS still in receipt of it and has been for approx 18months!! she will now get onto the council to explain their mistake but is worried that she will be in severe trouble too for not noticing the overpayment until now,she will also explain that her step mum has the money in her account and wil be able tol pay the money due back to them asap now that she is aware of it. any advice on this eg how they will view what is the best way to contact them and explain it anything to help would be much appreciated by her as she it at her wits end since noticing it?? p.s when her step mum went into full time care a social worker was put in place to sort out all the financial side of things for her step mum too so this is where the oversight could have happened she thinks as she was not really involved in that side ??? thanks in advance

hi all i have received a letter from income support regards the overpayment and it is in the region of 3,400 which has to be recovered. any advice on what is now likely to happen re how they recover the money and when the courts become involved re a summons etc as my life is really dark at the moment due to non stop worrying! many thanks

dates are approx early 2007 to dec 11 so it is a long time just wish they had found the discrepancy alot sooner.......total nightmare

new to this site and am in great need of help re my current case please..... Hi All, In need of as much info and advice as possible due to being contacted by the DWP Fraud Officers who allege I did not inform them of monies paid out when medically retired from work. I wrongly believed that you were allowed up to approx 14-16k in savings/redundancy payments without having to declare it as this would not effect any claim for Income Support,Council Tax benefit and help with Mortgage payments???? After receiving my redundancy which was approx 14k i paid off various creditors, some money loans from family members and had a family holiday too,I was left with approx 9k in capital. As of yet i do not know how much i have been overpaid but the little money i do have from my redundancy is now approx 6-7k and has been for last couple of years. If found guilty of deliberately and calculatedly defrauding the system what is most likely to be the outcome re punishment other than the obvious repayment,court case,poss criminal record and fine etc....??? My biggest fear is that i could be jailed which would devastate both myself and my family and most probably leave them homeless and fighting to pay off unaffordable debts without me to help. Would it be a good idea to try and get some legal advice in this field too so that i at least have a chance to put forward my side and try to reason as to how and why this genuine mistake occurred?? many thanks. any informative reply good or bad would be appreciated.