Help me please

nedauk44
nedauk44 Community Member Posts: 4 Listener
in Employment & Support Allowance (ESA)

Hi everyone, I really need some advice because I’m completely overwhelmed and don’t know what to do.

DWP Debt Management has told me that I supposedly owe around £6,000 for an old ESA overpayment from around 2014–2016. They say it is because I was outside the UK during that time.

The problem is, I have never received the original overpayment decision, a calculation, the exact dates, or any evidence explaining why I supposedly owe this money.

I contacted ESA, but they told me they can’t access the historical records from that period and they couldn’t clearly explain what the debt is based on. They said there was a letter I sent in 2021 about 2014–2016, but I still haven’t been given the actual evidence or a proper explanation. They said a manager would need to look into it, but I wasn’t transferred to one.

What worries me even more is that around £2,700 has already been taken from my PIP.

On my PIP payment information, my Universal Credit advance deductions are clearly labelled “Universal Credit Advance Payments”. However, the £2,700 that has been taken from my PIP is only labelled “Other” — it doesn’t say ESA.

So I don’t even know what this £2,700 was taken for or where it has been allocated.

I’m really struggling with this financially and emotionally. I already have disabilities and financial difficulties, and having thousands of pounds taken from my benefits without being given a clear explanation or evidence has left me extremely stressed and overwhelmed. I honestly don’t know where to turn.

What should I do first? Should I ask Debt Management for a full breakdown/payment history showing exactly where the £2,700 from my PIP was allocated? Should I request the original ESA overpayment decision and evidence? Should I make a formal complaint or request a Mandatory Reconsideration?

If anyone has dealt with an old ESA overpayment, DWP Debt Management, or deductions from PIP, I would really appreciate your advice. I just want to understand what has happened to my money and make sure I’m not being asked to repay something without being given the evidence.

Thank you so much

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Answers

  • OverlyAnxious
    OverlyAnxious Community Member Posts: 6,389 Championing

    Hi,

    I had some dealing with DWP Debt Management recently although mine was for UC rather than ESA.

    They didn't seem to have any details on what the overpayment was for. They just got their figure from UC/ESA. So I would say it is ESA who you need to get an itemised breakdown of the overpayment from. However, they are unlikely to have this information as it was over 10 years ago. It's a very difficult situation to be in.

    I don't think PIP will know anything about it at all, as that payment just goes straight to DWP DM team.

    I would say the next step should be making a Subject Access Request to ESA, requesting them to provide you will all information they hold regarding your overpayment. If the information has since been destroyed then it's too late, but you won't know unless you ask. A SAR is a legal right that you have, so they can't just brush it off like a few words over a phone.

  • WhatThe
    WhatThe Community Member, Scope Member Posts: 6,274 Championing
    https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1148358#Comment_1148358

    ESA do retain these records. Only last year, I received a printout of all my ESA payments dating back to 2011.

  • Lauren29
    Lauren29 Community Member Posts: 269 Empowering

    If you are really struggling I would advise that you contact a local advice agency such as Citizens Advice or Welfare Rights. They may be able to help you themselves or make a referral to a local debt adviser who can act for you. I would also agree that you should make a Subject Access Request to ESA. I have found that DWP Debt Management simply refer you back to ESA who then refer you back to ESA and so on.

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