Hi, I'm jackthelad! Why would the ESA deduct money? - Page 2 — Scope | Disability forum
Please read our updated community house rules and community guidelines.

Hi, I'm jackthelad! Why would the ESA deduct money?

2»

Comments

  • Pammie
    Pammie Community member Posts: 18 Courageous
    You need to ring early - some phone lines are open from 8am and some from 9am, but hang on until you get an answer.  I know it’s frustrating because they keep you hanging on for so long before you speak to someone, but this urgently needs sorting. I agree with you - if this matter stretches back 20 years then something is amiss as they usually pick up on these things long before that.  I was also going to ask you in what format were the letters. Are they text alerts via your mobile phone, or actual posted letters on DWP headed paper ?  I’m thinking could it be a scam ?  For safety’s sake don’t call them on any phone number listed on a text or letter.  Ring the ESA enquiry line for existing claimants on 0800 169 0310.  Let us know how you get on.
  • Pammie
    Pammie Community member Posts: 18 Courageous
    Just an update.  Below is an online post copied from a help website.  The lady in question is a claimant of ESA and housing benefit, and she has had letters which sound similar to the ones you are describing.  They give vague details of amounts owed but no calculations or explanation of how the overpayment arose, just a blanket statement that you owe them the money.  This may be a scam and you urgently need to contact DWP to make sure first of all that it’s genuine, and then sort it out from there.  Apparently there are a couple of DWP scams doing the rounds at the moment and her post got a lot of replies from people who had had the same thing - all advising substantial overpayments accrued over long periods, but very vague on the details.  Please, please be careful with this.  You urgently need to contact DWP on the number I gave you above - tell them you may have received scam letters claiming to be from them.  On no account ring any number which may have been advised on any of the correspondence you have received.  This lady’s post is below for your information:

    Anyone else having the same experience?
    I received a letter from DWP Debt Centre Trafford in the past few days.
    It says I owe them over £500.
    There is no explanation about what it relates to and there are no workings showing how they have arrived at the figure.
    I have tried calling the call centre but cannot get through. I wait for 10 to 15 minutes and then the line cuts.
    The letter states I have until 6 December to make contact. Then they will pass this to debt collectors.
    This is very poor given the total lack of information and impossibility of speaking to anyone about it.
    I am more than happy to pay money back if it is justified.
    Until I do understand what this is about, just paying does not seem a wise thing to do.
    I've written to David Lammy about it.
    Any other thoughts about what to do?

  • Pammie
    Pammie Community member Posts: 18 Courageous
    Just wondering if you have managed to make contact with DWP and whether you’re OK.
  • jackthelad
    jackthelad Community member Posts: 10 Listener
    hi pammie another wasted day  i just seem stuck at where i was last week you would think the dwp could be emailed i am thinking at the suggestion of a friend contacting my mp see if he or she can find something out i am at the stage now where the whole scenarios making me ill
  • MarkM88
    MarkM88 Community member Posts: 3,127 Connected
    Have you tried writing to them and asking for an explanation?
  • jackthelad
    jackthelad Community member Posts: 10 Listener
    with my health i am not even sure i could compose a email if it were possible to send one
  • MarkM88
    MarkM88 Community member Posts: 3,127 Connected
    When I said write, I meant a letter to post via RM. Could someone not do it for you and then all you need to do is sign it?
  • Emilyb81
    Emilyb81 Community member Posts: 530 Pioneering
    Hiya @jackthelad sorry you are having so much trouble!
    Just wondering what you mean about wasted day? Do you mean you tried and failed to get through on phone to dwp? Or do you mean you were unable to make contact due to health issues? I really hope you can find out what's happening sooner rather than later because once the money gets taken out of benefits it's very hard to get it back in my experience :disappointed:
    Also I have contacted my MP in the past and I had to give quite a lot of information to them so it won't be much better than contacting dwp? Not that I'm saying don't do it I just mean if you are planning to put something together for MP maybe you can put letter together for dwp with your friends help? I just hope you do manage to get hold of someone asap before things have gone too far the other way if that makes sense?
    And honestly I got straight through on Sunday so maybe weekends are better days for getting through to them? :smile: take care and stay safe! 
  • Pammie
    Pammie Community member Posts: 18 Courageous
    @jackthelad. Your mp would probably need to know that you had contacted the DWP yourself before they would  get involved, as you haven’t given the DWP an opportunity to offer an explanation, first of all as to whether the letters are genuine, and then if they are, how they’ve arrived at the figures.  In my experience mp’s are only willing to get involved if you’ve tried and been unsuccessful in getting a resolution.  There’s a lot that bothers me about the content of these letters and i think there’s a strong possibility that it’s a scam which makes it even more important to get it sorted out quickly.  I rang DWP yesterday with my own benefit query, on the number I gave you and it took about 45 minutes of hanging on before i got through, so it is possible to speak to someone if you’re patient.  I really don’t think it’s wise to wait too long to sort this out, and involving your mp will take more time, especially as there are no face to face sessions at local mp surgeries because of the pandemic, so any contact would have to be by letter or email - which would only prolong things.  I would keep trying the phone number until you get through because this is by far the quickest way to sort things.

Brightness

Do you need advice on your energy costs?


Scope’s Disability Energy Support service is open to any disabled household in England or Wales in which one or more disabled people live. You can get free advice from an expert adviser on managing energy debt, switching tariffs, contacting your supplier and more. Find out more information by visiting our
Disability Energy Support webpage.