Overpayment and repaying it back?

Stinicker

My close friend has been been claiming JSA for almost two years and after a recent review she discovered they overpaid her in that she was receiving too much money per week. She notified her local welfare office and it was corrected except she now has to repay €700 and got a latter last week about it.

The understanding is that she is asked to repay the money in full but has got options which is unaffordable as she only works casually and it was from this that the mistake in her payments arose.

It said on her letter she can choose to have it paid back in full or have it deducted from her payments going forward, it also says they can withhold payment and this is the option she thinks is best as her payment is €140/week, she often signs off also and has steady income especially in the summer so thinks that having them withold the money going forward works best for her.

Basically she wants them to pay her nothing for around 5 weeks until the debt is cleared at a 100% deduction from her payment of €140/week. She sometimes does babysitting and casual work and was forthcoming with the info to them so as not to get caught and appear like she was cheating them when she is just trying to be honest. Some weeks she gets nothing and sometimes might make €100 on top of her dole and she also has some savings and gets money from her parents.

We discussed it and repaying the money has to happen she'd just prefer if it happened this way and just have them not pay her between X dates for 5 weeks until the debt is cleared.

Is that possible?

mp22

She would be much better off writing to the dept offering to pay back a fixed amount every week until the debt is re-payed.Keep a copy of the letter and any others she sends to the dept and get proof of postage.

eastbono

You friend can opt to pay €140 pw if they wish. Tell her to call into her local office.

sallyannesal

how did this happen? is it not social welfares fault for the error? what changed that your friend was overpaid?

itsirishfarmer

if she asks to pay it off like that

they will ask her whats shes living on and probably ccut her off for good


ask for 20 euro a week

eastbono

SW can make deductions of up to 15% of the personal rate of a persons payment without their consent in order to recoup an overpayment.