Overpayments

If your personal circumstances change then so may your entitlement to Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Reduction. If you do not tell us straight away we may pay you too much Housing Benefit. This is called Housing Benefit overpayment and you will be required to repay the amount in full.

Any change to your Council Tax Reduction will result in a revised Council Tax bill being issued.

What happens if I have been overpaid benefit?

We will:

  • take into account the circumstances that caused the overpayment before we make a decision on recovering overpaid benefit
  • send you a revised entitlement notice which will detail the amounts and dates of any changes
  • not ask you to repay the overpayment until we have given you reasonable opportunity to ask for a review of the decision if you disagree

How can I pay the money back?

  • if you are still in receipt of Housing Benefit or are a landlord receiving direct payment of rent, we may deduct an amount from you and use it to reduce the overpaid benefit. Your entitement notice will advise you of the amount we will take
  • if you are no longer in receipt of Housing Benefit you will receive an invoice for the amount of the overpayment. This will include advice on how to make repayment
  • any change to your Council Tax Reduction will be reflected on your Council Tax account

What if I do not agree with your decision?

You can ask for a revision of a decision to recover an overpayment. This must be made in writing and sent to us within one calendar month of the date the overpayment letter was sent to you. It can be sent or handed into any of our contact centres.

What is a Direct Earning Attachment?

When we have been unable to recover money owed to us by a customer, that money may be recovered by deductions from the customer's earnings. We do not have to go through the civil courts to do this. Employers have a legal obligation to implement a Direct Earning Attachment (DEA) when thay are asked to, by making deductions from their employee's net earnings.

Download our guide for employers on DEA Download our housing benefit overpayment and debt recovery policy

Customer Advice and Support Service

Address: Council Headquarters
Newtown St. Boswells
Melrose
TD6 0SA

Telephone: 0300 100 1800