What is best to do

kim49
kim49 Community member Posts: 8 Listener
edited January 2018 in Benefits and income
I'm a single mum on pip my son is 16 and was on dla which is changing to pip. I get carers for my son and I also have a carer who receives the allowance. My eldest son who has lost his job has recently moved back in , is in receipt of jsa.
Income support has just contacted me saying they have overpaid me and on wrong allowance so I will lose £60 a week plus have to payback an over payment.. when I claimed last year I told them all my circumstances truthfully I can understand it maybe just an error , however I can't afford to lose £120 a fortnight from my benefits , can anyone please tell me if I've done something wrong, or would it benefit my family to have my son who is on jsa be carer for both myself and my youngest son ?? 

Comments

  • steve51
    steve51 Community member Posts: 7,122 Championing
    Hi @kim49

    Good Evening & Welcome.

    Have you got a local “CAB”

    I think that will be the best option as they will be able to get too the bottom of things for you.

    Please please come back to me if you have any problems.
  • Sam_Alumni
    Sam_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 7,605 Championing
    Hi @kim49

    You might want to speak to CAB or you can call the Scope helpline on 0808 800 3333/
  • BenefitsTrainingCo
    BenefitsTrainingCo Community member Posts: 2,621 Trailblazing

    Hi @kim49

    Unfortunately I can't tell from the information above whether the DWP have acted correctly, as I would need to know your full household circs and what the overpayment relates to to ascertain that.

    For reference though, basic income support for a single Carer who is also disabled is 77.90, plus 62.70 Carer's Allowance. If you are on the high rate of PIP DL the income support would increase to 93.80. If they have been paying you a 'Severe Disability Premium' this is not correct, as you would not be able to claim this if a 3rd party was claiming Carer's Allowance for you, and of course all the above amounts are affected by income/capital.

    If the issue is the SDP mentioned above, the question is, did you declare sufficient information to the DWP so that they should have calculated your award correctly - the amount weekly would still reduce to the correct amount, but any overpayment then could be argued as non-recoverable.

    Does that help? Let us know if I've got the wrong end of the stick!

    Kind regards,

    Mary

  • Topkitten
    Topkitten Community member Posts: 1,275 Trailblazing
    It may be that they have made a mistake but, as has been said, it is more likely that the disability premium should not have been paid to you if someone else gets a carers allowance for you. It does sound like a confused situation and it may be that you did give the information truthfully but perhaps not in enough detail not realising something that may have been relevant.

    I believe that, if you have been overpaid, you have little or no option in how it will be paid back.

    Fortunately people are very good at living on what they have and you will find that somehow, despite the immediate apparent hardship, you will get through and you will adapt. Just do not be tempted to borrow money at the exorbitant interest rates these "payday loan" companies charge or you will soon get into irretrievable trouble.

    TK

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