The amount of benefit you get to help you pay your rent and Council Tax depends on what you tell us when you make your claim. It is your responsibility to tell us about any change in your circumstances.
Overpayments usually occur when you do not inform us of changes in your circumstances. You must tell us immediately, in writing, of any changes that may affect your benefit.
Some changes you must tell us about are:
- Changes in income and/or savings
- Change of address
- Changes in the income of others in your household
- Children who leave school/start working
- Adults moving in/out of your home
- Marriages, seperations and divorce
How will the Council recover the Overpayment?
We can use a number of methods to recover a benefit overpayment such as:
- Deductions from ongoing housing benefit payments
- Deductions from certain Social Security Benefits e.g. Income Support, State Retirement Pension, Universal Credit
- You can make an arrangement to pay by calling the Overpayments section on 01492 576493
How will you inform me that I have been overpaid?
If you have been overpaid housing benefit and/or council tax reduction we will write to you to inform you:
- there has been an overpayment of benefit
- the reason for the overpayment
- the amount of benefit overpaid
- how the overpayment was calculated
If you do not tell us about a change in your personal circumstances and we pay you too much housing benefit and/or council tax reduction, we will ask you to pay us the money back.
What happens if I do not pay?
Failure to make an arrangement to repay your overpayment may result in Conwy County Borough Council recovering the debt through the County Court. Your case may also be passed to a debt collecting agency. This will result in further costs and will increase your debt. Court action will also affect your credit rating. The council has a duty to recover overpayments and will take all reasonable steps to do so.
What should I do if I cannot afford the repayments?
If you cannot afford the repayments you must contact the Overpayments section on 01492 576493 to discuss the options available.
Who can the Council recover overpaid Housing Benefit from?
We can recover the benefit overpayment from:
- the claimant or partner (in certain circumstances)
- the person to whom the benefit was paid e.g. Landlord or Agent
- someone acting on behalf of the claimant e.g. appointee/someone with power of attorney