The Dole office wants me to repay them the money THEY overpayed

Arrayan

So basically I was told that I was getting this set amount of money by the dole office. Then after like a month they turn around and say hang on we are overpaying you. Now they want me to pay back the amount they accidentally gave me which I can't afford. Can they do that?

FreudianSlippers

Wait, so they told you that you'd be getting x amount and then they gave you z amount (which is more)?

I hate to break it to you, but I think you need to give the extra money back.

MagicSean

Did you not notice you were being overpaid?

acia

Yeah it happened to me they overpaid me by €600, they will want it back, i got sent a letter from legal dept. I'm currently paying back €20 a week since last Sept will be finished next couple of months. You can work out a minimum weekly payment to pay back it makes it easier.

FreudianSlippers

Don't quote me on this, just thinking aloud (so to speak). But if they told you they were going to pay you x amount and then they did pay you that amount only to figure out it was too much, that is their mistake and while they'd be entitled to pay you the lower amount in the future, I don't see how they could ask for you to pay them the past money back.

Might be easier to think of it using numbers. If they said they were going to give you €600 and they did, only to decide later it should only have been €500 all along, I don't really think they could demand you repay them the €100.

On the other hand if they said you'll be getting €500 and they actually paid you €600 and you said nothing until they figured out, they'd most certainly be correct in asking you for that €100 to be repayed.

Arrayan

Oisin T: No they told me I was getting X amount. Thay gave me X amount but then after a while they told me that they had overpayed me.

I wasn't aware of their blunder and on my slip it stated that I was been given X amount which turn out to more then I was suppose to get. Their was no way that I could of know about their mistake.

Victor

You are only entitled to what the law says. If you have received more than that, it has to be repaid. It is not unreasonable to strike a balance between overpayment and ability to re-pay.

Artfully Dodgin

Of course you have to pay it back. Why do you think you wouldn't have too just because they made a mistake? Its not your money and not what your were entiltled too.

Thirdfox

It's always useful to think of the reverse in these situations... if say, a bank was overcharging you for the last 6 months and then suddenly you (or they) discover the mistake - would you want your money back?

Might be a good idea to find out how much you are entitled to receive so that in the future you'll notice if you're being over/under-paid and will notice a discrepancy at once.

dermothickey

Happened to me too... a few times over the years stick em down for a fiver a week and you'll be grand.