Benefits and support We sometimes overpay your Housing Benefit or Council Tax Support

How we get overpaid benefit back

Housing Benefit overpayments

  • From your weekly benefit if you still get Housing Benefit, until your overpayment is cleared. There are set amounts we can take. We can take less if it is causing you hardship. We can take more if you have committed fraud.
  • From your rent account if you are a council tenant and your account is in credit. We won't put you in arrears.
  • From your landlord if they are a private landlord, housing association or housing trust and we have been paying them direct. If we ask them to repay the overpayment it may mean that you owe your landlord more rent.
  • Using other money we owe you, for example benefit for another period. We can use it towards your overpayment.
  • If you are no longer on benefit or don't get enough each week for us to make a deduction, we will send you a bill. You must make arrangements to pay it.
  • From another party, such as the Department for Work and Pensions who can take money each week from your benefits to clear your overpayment.

Read the debt recovery policy for Housing Benefit overpayments.

Council Tax Support overpayments

As we work out Council Tax Support for the year at the beginning of April, if something changes it may mean we've paid too much. We will adjust your bill and send you a new one with more to pay. If you pay by direct debit the Council Tax Service will increase your monthly payment.

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