# Overpayment of illness benefit - worried sick about repayment.



## sarryan1 (22 Oct 2008)

Hi,

Im looking for advice as I have just recieved a letter from Dept for an overpayement in illness beniefit of 9 weeks even though the last sick cert I sent in was up until 17/09/08 but I continued to recieve payment up until last week.  I was overpaid but had a great amount of debt from being out sick for so long and was worried sick as to how I would clear it so I used the overpayement to clear some of the outsanding debt.

Im a single mother of one and while i was out sick i was only recieving 229 per week . I have a very high mortgage which I could not meet on 229 per week plus with school cost and bills that had amounted etc.  Im still very much in debt at the moment and just wonderring what I now should do in approaching this matter. I know I shouldn't have been using the overpayment but was sick with worry as to how i was going to pay bills that had mounted up.


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## Welfarite (23 Oct 2008)

The overpayment appears to have been a departmental error as you sent in final cert so it is very unlikley they can prosecute for recovery. Did they offer you options to pay it back weekly? They should accept weekly repayments (I'd say 10 or 20 a week) if you offer them explaining that you cannot repay the money in full at this time.


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## justasking2 (23 Oct 2008)

Welfarite said:


> The overpayment appears to have been a departmental error as you sent in final cert so it is very unlikley they can prosecute for recovery. Did they offer you options to pay it back weekly? They should accept weekly repayments (I'd say 10 or 20 a week) if you offer them explaining that you cannot repay the money in full at this time.


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## justasking2 (23 Oct 2008)

sarryan1 said:


> Hi,
> 
> Im looking for advice as I have just recieved a letter from Dept for an overpayement in illness beniefit of 9 weeks even though the last sick cert I sent in was up until 17/09/08 but I continued to recieve payment up until last week. I was overpaid but had a great amount of debt from being out sick for so long and was worried sick as to how I would clear it so I used the overpayement to clear some of the outsanding debt.
> 
> Im a single mother of one and while i was out sick i was only recieving 229 per week . I have a very high mortgage which I could not meet on 229 per week plus with school cost and bills that had amounted etc. Im still very much in debt at the moment and just wonderring what I now should do in approaching this matter. I know I shouldn't have been using the overpayment but was sick with worry as to how i was going to pay bills that had mounted up.


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## justasking2 (23 Oct 2008)

Hi, the same thing happened to my husband who had been off work and receiving Illness Benefit. We are now paying 15.euro per week to repay the over payment. The amount was decided by ourselves. You should receive a Staning Order form from them to set this up. Like you this was an error by the deptartment and not ourselves as final cert was sent to them. As long as you make an effort to repay them, you should not have any problems


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## sarryan1 (23 Oct 2008)

The cert i sent in last wasnt a Final one as i couldnt get to the doctors within my working week , but i had not sent in a cert for the other weeks they contiued to sent checks.Where do i stand in this case. Also how do i approach a reply to the letter to department on this matter they are waiting to hear from me within 10 days.


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## Welfarite (24 Oct 2008)

Well it could be construed as fraud and definitely the onus would have been on you to contact them...accusing them of paying you without certs will not wash! Reply to them saying you acknowledge the overpayment and state that you wish to pay it back by X amount per week, ask for a SO form.


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## sarryan1 (24 Oct 2008)

Thank you for your reply. Letter is gone off in the post today.

Kind Regards

sarryan1


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