I've had a PIP increase. Can this be used to pay off Child Tax Credit overpayment?

DJ1785

Hi, I have been awarded an increase in my pip daily living allowance from standard rate to enhanced rate which is a great increase in the amount of pip I will receive from now on,  approximately £140 give/take ontop of my previous entitlement,  however I had been advised that they will owe me some money due to them backdating my claim from the beginning of February 2021, so I had been advised by my carer that the amount due to me would be a good few hundred pounds,  but when I have spoken with the pip department just now,  I was told that the money due to me had been offered to DEBT MANAGEMENT in relation to some overpayment of Child Tax Credits from over 5 years ago,  even though I have been paying the overpayment to Child Tax Credits Debt Management Department for a couple of years (at least) which is directly deducted from my Primary Entitlement of Universal Credit on the 5th of each month!! Please can someone help me understand why they have done this to me and my pip entitlement and owed money when the two benefits are nothing at all to do with one another,  never mind that the Tax Credits were overpaid to me at a time when I did not even have a PIP Claim in place, It is really,  really disheartening to see that the government decides to pay debt to the HMRC and does so without having any decency to consult with me about it beforehand.. It's bizarre to say the very least if I am totally honest about it.  In fact it has yet to even benefit Me or to help ease the struggling i face daily from the effects of my EPILEPSY and Other MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS,  it was decided that I  had been awarded the increase from the beginning of February 2021 to help myself and my carer with day to day living, but they have decided that the debt to a NON RELATIVE BENEFIT, THAT WAS NOT EVEN PAID TO ME  AT THE SAME TIME AS THIS AWARD,  IN FACT IT ACTUALLY 'PREDATES' MY PIP CLAIM, (WHICH WAS ALREADY IN REPAYMENT from Universal Credit Deductions on a monthly basis to theDebt Management Department & IT HAS BEEN FOR A LONG TIME).

Please can someone help me to understand what the point of Disability Help is if they are allowed to decide what it is spent on and how I am to feel the benefit of this award if they have already spent it elsewhere before I got the letter to say I was entitled to such a payment... Honestly never ever heard of anything quite as BaCkWaRd as this situation in my life...

Much Appreciated 

Yours,  DJ1785 ????

Ross_Alumni

Hello @DJ1785

Welcome to the community, glad to see you join us.

Firstly, congratulations on the PIP increase, you must be very happy about that.

I can understand why it would be inconvenient for you or anybody, especially when it's not something you're consulted about beforehand. However as mentioned above they can do that, though I guess on the bright side it will mean some of that debt being paid off and you can put it behind you  

You mentioned your mental health in your post, is it something you receive support to manage?