Housing Benefit Overpayments

An 'overpayment' of Housing Benefit is when you:

• get paid Housing Benefit that you are not entitled to, or
• get paid more than you are entitled to.

If this happens, we will send you a letter. The letter will explain:

• how much the overpayment is
• what period it covers
• why the overpayment occurred

How we recover overpayments

We will recover the overpayment using one of the following methods:

• deductions from your ongoing Housing Benefit entitlement
• deductions from other benefits, such as Universal Credit, Income Support or Job Seekers Allowance
• payments to us directly. If you are no longer entitled to Housing Benefit and you don't receive any other benefits, we will send you an invoice. You will need to pay the overpaid amount back to us directly.

If the deductions from your ongoing Housing Benefit entitlement are causing you hardship, you can ask us to review the amount deducted. You may be asked to provide proof that it is causing you hardship.

Landlords and overpaid Housing Benefit

If your landlord gets your Housing Benefit payments directly, we will inform them when your Housing Benefit has been overpaid. We will also let them know if we have decided to recover the overpayment from your ongoing Housing Benefit entitlement. Your landlord will not be able to appeal against our decision to recover the payment from your ongoing Housing Benefit entitlement.

If there is a difference between the amount of Housing Benefit you get and your rent, you are responsible for paying the difference.

More information for landlords and Housing Benefit can be found here:

Housing, Local Housing Allowance and Council Tax Support for Landlords - Tameside MBC

How to repay your Housing Benefit overpayment

Please use one of the following methods to repay your Housing Benefit overpayment. You will need to quote your 8-digit invoice number when making the payment.

• Credit / Debit Card Payments
• Direct Debit – 1^st, 15^th or 23^rd of the month – you can speak to the benefits team to set this up on 0161 342 3708
• Standing order - using the account details below

Standing Order account details

• Tameside MBC
• Your benefits reference number 
• Your name
• Sort code 20-05-09
• Account No.33782840
• Account name: Tameside MBC Suspense
• Barclays, 190 Stamford Street, Ashton-Under-Lyne, OL6 7NZ

What to do if you can't afford to repay the overpayment

If you cannot afford to repay the overpayment, please contact the benefit team on 0161 342 3708

Income and Expenses Form

If you have been asked to complete an income and expenditure form you can access the form here.

Please note: to complete this form you will need to provide information about your income, such as your earnings and any benefits that you get. You must upload 3 months bank statements, and you will also need to provide details of your outgoings, such as household bills and living expenses.

Late and missed payments

If you pay late or miss payments, we may decide to recover the overpayment using one of the following methods:

• Direct Earnings Attachment - this means your employer will deduct a percentage of your wages to repay the overpayment
• Debt Recovery Agents - we can refer the debt to an Enforcement Agent to collect the amount. You will then need to pay the Enforcement Agents directly.