Overpayments

What is an overpayment?

An overpayment of benefit occurs when you receive too much money. For example:

You have left the property but payments continue to be made
You have started work but your benefit payments are based upon Income Support which has now stopped

When an overpayment has been identified we will work out:

The amount of the overpayment
The period of the overpayment
The reason it has occurred
Whether it is recoverable and if so, from whom and by which method.

When is an overpayment recoverable?

We are able to recover most overpayments. The only exception is when we make a mistake and you could not have been expected to know that you had been overpaid. For example, if we had awarded you benefit based on your rent being £690.00 weekly rather than monthly, we would consider that you could be expected to know the amount you received was incorrect. It is therefore essential that you not only advise us of any changes but also of any errors which have been made.

Who is the overpayment recoverable from?

An overpayment can be recovered from:

The person who claimed the benefit (eg yourself), or
The person who received the payment (eg your landlord)

Notification

If you have been overpaid we will write and advise you. This will happen even if we are going to recover the overpayment from your landlord or a third party. The letter will provide you with the following information:

That the overpayment is recoverable
Why it has occurred
The amount of the overpayment ( and the amount which is recoverable)
How the overpayment has been calculated (e.g. 2 weeks at £50.00)
The period it relates to
The way we plan to recover the overpayment (method of recovery)
Your right to request a written statement and to appeal

If you have been overpaid Housing and Council Tax Benefit then the letter will detail both overpayments separately. In addition to this, if it is Council Tax Benefit or Second Adult Rebate which has been overpaid then you will also receive a revised Council Tax bill.

Written statements

Your overpayment notification should clearly explain the overpayment and how we intend to recover it. However, if anything is not clear or you have a query you can ask us for a written statement. This can be done in the following ways, and you should clearly state which issue you would like explained.

By email benefits@southwark.gov.uk
Or post to Southwark Council, PO Box 68763, London SE1P 4DJ

Although this can be requested at any time it would be wise to do so within one calendar month of the date of the notification, before the appeal rights expire.