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

Do you have to pay it back?

To avoid overpayments:

  • Tell us about changes straight away.
  • Give us correct information so that we get it right first time.

We must write to you about overpayments and any action we take. You have a right of appeal if you don't agree.

We can ask you to pay it back:

  • If the overpayment was your fault, for example because you didn't tell us about a change.
  • If it was not really anyone’s fault, for example, because of a backdated pay rise that you could not have told us about earlier.
  • If it was our fault but you could have realised and didn't tell us. For example, if you get a pay rise but your benefit and Council Tax Support don't change.

We can't ask you to pay it back if it's our fault and you couldn't have realised you were getting too much Housing Benefit or Council Tax Support.

If we have been paying your landlord we may get the money back from them but if we decide the overpayment was your fault and your landlord couldn't have known you were being overpaid, we expect you to repay the money.

We can take the money back in a number of ways.

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