You need to tell us straight away if:
- you think you’re being paid too much Housing Benefit
- your circumstances change
You may have to pay back the Housing Benefit if you have been overpaid.
Recovering Housing Benefits overpayments
We can recover overpayments by:
- receiving a payment from you
- asking your employer to take deductions from your wages (known as a Direct Earnings Attachment)
- deducting directly from any ongoing benefit entitlement
- deducting directly from other social security benefits
Pay back an overpayment
You can pay back an overpayment online or by phoning 01752 668000.
If you need a payment arrangement, you can make an offer of payment. We usually expect repayments to be made over a 12 month period.
If you have been asked to complete a Financial Statement, complete the Financial Statement form and send it to us using the Overpayment enquiry form.
If you don't attempt to pay the money back we may refer the debt to a collection agent or apply for a County Court Judgement (CCJ) which would lead to further costs being added to your account, as well as affecting your credit rating.
How to appeal
If you disagree with a payment decision write to us at Plymouth City Council, Plymouth PL1 3BJ within one month of the date the letter was sent advising you of the debt and we will investigate to see if an error has been made.