Hi When I was at university as a single mum, I claimed income support, which you're entitled to do. This was back in 2001-2004! The DWP have contacted me a couple of times over the years saying I fraudulently claimed and didn't declare I was a student. I absolutely did and in any case I would've still been allowed to get income support. They have now written to me to say they have asked my employer to commence deductions from my earnings. The debt is over £11,000! My understanding is that a debt becomes statute barred after 6 years so are they allowed to take this form of action? Ive appealed their decision twice over the years and they've dismissed it, the last time they didn't even look in to it, my bet is because they don't have the paperwork anymore!? I dont actually owe them anything, it clearly says in law that you can claim income support if a student and a single parent so I don't understand it! Can anyone help? Thanks

I not sure where to begin with this . On the 1/8/17 i recieved a letter off dwp debt management stating i had over payments of 2099.89 when i questioned dwp what these over payments were they said" they were unsure but thought t was tax credits and universal credits and they just wanted a repayment agreement " I explained i only work p/t and i was on my own with debts my ex partner abandoned me with and that i had a dmp with stepchange. they asked of proof of this along with a expediture sheet .which i sent them registered post. i then recieved a letter on the 23/08/17 they were instructing my employer with a DEA . In my job policy and procdures it states that aoe or any deductions will result in disiplinary action i explained this to them but they choose to ignore me did not offer a alternative arrangement nor have i recieved any information on this alleged over payment . i sent a letter of complaint and asked for a sar to which i have had no replies. inbetween all this i had applied for another postion at my place of work (local hospice) and was interviewed for it yesterday and at 17.05 i recieved a call to say i was not accepted for the position and my contract for my job i do at the minute will not be renewed due to dwps dea so now at the end of september i will be unemployed . is there anything i can do to make dwp accountable for me losing my job. the reason given was i was a finacial risk working with vulnerable people.

I have an on going dispute with The DWP regarding a long outstanding balance on a Social fund loan they say I owe, I don't think I do. This loan dates back to 1998. I have replied to every letter they have sent asking for a statement of payments and a copy of the original loan agreement, to date I have received nothing. Today I received a letter stating that a direct earnings attachment letter had been sent to my employer. I telephoned and again requested proof that I owe this money. The person I spoke to was very unhelpful and sarcastic to me. I paid them the money on my CC as I didn't want my employer notified. I do not think I owe this money and they can offer me no concrete proof that I do. I feel like I'm hitting my head against a wall and getting nowhere. How are they allowed to get away with this.?? Can I pursue a claim through small claims court to be reimbursed?

Hi there, For years now, I've been receiving the same letter from the DWP. A vaguely-worded affair, it always tells me I owe the grand sum of £60 to them and to pay up. This usually results in a written response from myself, highlighting that I have no idea where this 'debt' is from and could someone shed some light on the subject. Nobody ever can. One year, I ignored the letter and ended up getting chased by a DCA, who soon passed the case back to the DWP because they couldn't tell me what the debt was for either. This happens every couple of years. I presume my complaints expire on their system and the DWP2000 Letter Machine starts the process again. Yesterday a letter popped through my door, but it would seem the laws have changed since our last correspondence (because we have a Tory government and that's the kind of nonsense they pull). It appears that, despite having no evidence of this debt, they can just go to my employer and take it from my salary. No court needed! No ethics needed either, I would seem. Wow. I've already put together a complaints letter the the Debt Management team, and filled out the SAR (just need to find someone with a printer as heaven forbid the DWP realises it's 2017 and starts dealing with emails). I should emphasise, £60 isn't a big deal, if I owed such a debt I would have no problem paying it. The fact is that I don't have any idea what this is for and nobody at the DWP ever tells me. If they had a case against me for it, they would have taken the money via the courts before the law changed, no? Thanks for reading, is the SAR and complaint enough or is there something else I can do?

Came to work a few days ago and my boss pulls me to one side and shows me a direct attachment of earnings she has received from DWP for £1750. This is the first i knew about it as they had apparently written to me at an address I left in November 2014, I have had this job since April 2015 so if they can find out where I work they can find out where I live due to real time. Called the number on the letter which got answered by the most obnoxious nasty women to have ever walked the planet telling my I had apparently made a claim for incapacity benefit from 1997! I asked if she was having a laugh as its 19 years old and she proceeded to me it was no laughing matter and couldnt see why I would find it funny. That was the most polite she was during the whole conversation. I asked why the letters had been sent out to an old address this is my fault as I didnt notify them I had moved?? How is this my fault when I have no knowledge of a debt from 20 years ago who would I notify exactly? To top off the conversation the women told me I had been interviewed under caution as this was a fraudalent claim - I think this would be something I would remember. If I owed this money I would pay it. Quoted statutue barred apparently for DWP it doesnt count and have asked for copies of all the evidence they have which I have been told can take up to four weeks to send to me, in the mean time they are claiming 11% of my wages. Other than the letter my boss has received I have had nothing regarding this so called debt in 20 years. Is there anything I can do would be grateful for any ideas, thanks.

Hi All Around two years ago, almost to the day right before xmas, the DWP applied to my employer for a Direct earnings attachment for £479 which they took in three months. These were for three different benefit overpayments dated back to 2003 I thought that this would be an end of it but today they have just done the same thing again .... This time they are after £278 ...... I haven't got a clue what this is for as i've had no letters from then since the last time Seeing as i have been employed with the same firm for eleven years these debts must be older than that. Surely they can't keep doing this? Should they have not calculated what i owed the first time they came after me not wait two years then start again? At the moment i am really struggling my bills keep going up but i haven't had a payrise since 2008 and this really is the last straw.. It looks like they've ruined the second Christmas in two years. Any help would be gratefully received. Thanks

I have been paying off a social loan I had many years ago at £1 per week. I am working but my finances are at breaking point & that is all I can afford. Now the DWP have sent me a letter saying they have contacted my employer & asking for them to take money out of my wages based on a percentage. (I feel this letter was a scare tactic to get me on the phone) I called up DWP to question this and was told although I was making payments there was no official payment plan in place, and they would not accept any less that £60 per month. Firstly how can the government take money out of my wages without knowing anything about my financial circumstances? Secondly how can they do this when I was paying the debt? Thirdly how can they force me to make payments that will cause me financial hardship? I cannot afford £60 per month. How can I reduce the payment amount? The woman on the phone would not budge. I am paying so many debts and trying to get my life back on track but they just keep piling on. I had a nervous breakdown due to debt a few years ago and am starting to feel again like I cant carry on. I take 1 step forwards 2 steps back.

I got a letter from the DWP a month or so back asking me for £201 they say I owe them. I replied asking them for what since ive not been unemployed for many years and they say is for some debt from 1995 or something - I might have the exact year wrong here but its from a loooong time ago. I write back and said under the limitation action 1980 Section 5 “an action founded on simple contract shall not be brought after the expiration of six years from the date on which the cause of action accrued.”. They have essentially ignored this and then sent another letter telling me they are writing to my employer and slapping a DEA on me. They cant do that can they ?

I had a letter from the department of works and pensions claiming that I owed £ 216.15 from 16 years ago they could not tell me what the so called debt was for when I telephoned the department concerned and was given another number to call however it was only open till 5.30pm Monday to Friday and due to work commitments I could not call them since then I have now been notified that they have now contacted my employer to deduct money from my earnings till the debt is paid. I find it hard to fathom in all the time I was unemployed that no mention of any debt was communicated to myself by telephone or letter. THE issue I have is if I owed this money why has it taken them this long to clear this matter when there are cases of people defrauding the benefits system for thousands and the money never gets paid back yet once they think you owe them money they can chase you up through your employer with no right of appeal to get the money even if you don't owe it

DWP via Dca's and debt management have been chasing an oveayment dating back to 1990. I I don't dispute there was an overpayment but that I repaid what was requested (it took 3 years!) and didn't hear anything until 2007 when contacted by dca who I stupidly paid money to until I realised they couldn't tak we court/leg loopal action. I submitted a sar with no response and a formal complaint of maladministration by dwp asking for the case to be closed. Dwp apologised for the fact that they had thoroughly searched for my file but could not locate it but clarified that the oustanding amount is left from when i came off benefit in 1996 and further payments could not be recovered. I have not been on benefit since 1990 and the payments were made whilst i was in full time employment. They stated because i had made a payment to the dca in 2007 that the case could not be closed. Due to family illness and bereavement i have only just started to deal with this due to dwp contacting me to say they are considering a dea . Is there anywhere I can go from here? DWP cannot provide any information as they cannot locate the file despite their own retention guidance stating it should be available, I don't want a dea but don't want to start a payment plan for something I think I have already paid.

Hiya, Hope this fits in this board. I had an DEA applied to my wages for an old loan I had from the DPW. My employer has messed it up (taken my whole gross wage and not net), and they've taken too much. The debt was originally £440.07, last month they took out 262.91 leaving £177.16. This month they have taken £189.57, so they have taken more than the debt owed. Who do I contact about this? 1 to make sure they don't keep taking payments, and 2 to get back the money they over took (I know it's only a few quid, but still...) Is it the DWP, my Payroll, or both? Thanks.