Overpayments Social Welfare???

Gummybear2013

Hi,

I am very stressed out so just wanting see if this happened to anyone else out there?

I opened up my own clain in June this year and i gave welfare all correct information they looking for and proof as well of this. I even gave them my partners payslips he had for the 2 months got work and even at his new job now i gave them his payslip. I did not lie about anything.

I get a letter yesterday from the welfare saying period 16/06/14 to 7/10/14 i was paid 3, 287 euro which i was not entitled to and must pay it all back.
I am freaking out over this as i just making ends meet since then .

What is making me angry is fact i gave all correct information and everything but the deciding offer messed up and now i have pay all this back. Just finished college in may and needed hands on experience to get work so got offered internship start next week but the joy gone now from stress all this money. Said make weekly deductions of 12 euro from my welfare payments?

Just want know is there any way i can get this sorted or just bad luck and have pay all back ?


Thanks

Cushie Butterfield

You can appeal the fact that you were overpaid at all, & also try to get any overpayment recovery cancelled/reduced:


The Department of Social Protection makes every effort to recover the overpayment in full. The Department may reduce or cancel an overpayment if it occurred because it:

- Failed to act within a reasonable period of time on information it received about you
- Made an mistake that you could not reasonably be expected to have noticed

See here for more info: http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en...rpayments.html

If you submit proof of outgoings, & if that showed that you couldn't afford €12 per week they'd more than likely agree to a lesser repayment arrangement.

January

Were you on a back to education payment?

If not I don't think you're allowed to claim for at least 12 weeks after you finish full time education so you may in fact have been claiming when you were not supposed to.

Mrs Garth Brooks

Back to education doesn't count. Only school leavers is disqualified from claiming for 12 weeks.

Must be something to do with your partner's pay but you gave them everything, so why give it to you in the first place.

Balagan

January wrote: »

Were you on a back to education payment?

If not I don't think you're allowed to claim for at least 12 weeks after you finish full time education so you may in fact have been claiming when you were not supposed to.

That 3 month wait applies to those finishing 2nd level education and does not apply to those who are leaving college.

Students
If you have just left school you cannot get Jobseeker's Allowance. To get Jobseeker's Allowance you must have been out of school for 3 months and you must be at least 18 years of age.

Third-level students cannot claim Jobseeker's Allowance or Benefit while they are studying full-time. This disqualification also applies to the summer holiday periods between academic years (unless you are a mature student). However once you have finished college permanently you can claim a jobseeker's payment if you cannot find work. This is also the case if you leave college without finishing your course. http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/unemployed_people/jobseekers_allowance.html

wmpdd3

Did you receive a two page statement of means letter after you signed on, it will all depend on you receiving and understanding this letter.

Madisson

It's their fault plain and simple. Appeal it and if that gets you nowhere go to your local td immediately.

BRYAN Is Ainm Dom

Madisson wrote: »

It's their fault plain and simple. Appeal it and if that gets you nowhere go to your local td immediately.

Yes I agree with above, something similar happened to my wife. Now it was only about €500, but she appealed it as it was their fault, now it took a few letters, emails and threats to go local TD and Joe Duffy!!! But it worked in the end.

myshirt

Surely this local td, joe duffy, angry emails theme is a joke?

Op, that will get you no where and please don't listen to it. The only place where that'll work is if you get a lazy civil servant who couldn't be arsed.

There is nothing outrageous, untoward, sneaky or underhanded about the scenario you face. No one has shafted you. Cushie Butterfields post is the most solid advice. Note, importantly, that at all times you retain responsibility for what you claim. Never, ever depend on someone else.

Gummybear2013

Thanks for post everyone be honest my head all over place i no idea what to do so i just going let them take 12 euro off my money each week and i starting internship tomorrow for 9 months and fella interview me saidt there defo be a role for work end of it they wont out rule that so fingers crossed i will get job and that way i can pay off the money faster let them take 50 euro a week i dont care be paid in a year or 2 . I am not good with all this and confused totally no idea go where as since i doing internship 9am-5pm is hours so be hard go welfare office as well . They are a joke but i cant see them being nice about it and saying ah sure we let you off with this. They messed up and gave me all money but be amazed if they reduced it or told me its ok .

salamanca22

I don't understand how you could have not noticed you were being overpaid 274 euro per week (amount overpaid divided by overpayment period)

OP when it comes to a massive overpayment like this then you are indeed responsible to pay it back as it was very obvious. I am glad though in your last post you have decided to pay it back.

Gummybear2013

Well i dont know how the system works and what i was entitled to since living with my partner and i gave them his payslips they send me paper work showing the breakdown of his payslip and what i entitled to from him working but i could not make sense of it all. I still think they are in the wrong cause i gave them all the correct information and documents and the deciding officer did all work and said i get that amount so i dont feel bad no way they are to blame but i could not be bothered going to all fuss be honest dont really care now. I have accepted it just going let them take bit said each week and when get job pay back sooner its all paid back better

salamanca22

How much were you getting per week including the overpayment? Seeing as how the maximum without extra benefits is 188 euro per week it would be obvious to anyone that getting 274 euro extra was a mistake.

Gummybear2013

i was getting 234 euro a week and they worked out my partner pay slip which was full time that all i know. well some may know about this but i have no idea of rates or what i was entitled to so i took their word for it and gave all correct information from me so its their fault not noticing this sooner. If i did not go in last week with my partner new payslip i would never have known that they were over paying me. So what ever i get next week no idea what is now but i have my partner to help me with his wages as long keep on top rent nd bills all matters me . I am to happy with internship starting tomorrow to care about this they messed up and i have suffer so i just pay it and get over with what more can i do .

salamanca22

Gummybear2013 wrote: »

i was getting 234 euro a week and they worked out my partner pay slip which was full time that all i know. well some may know about this but i have no idea of rates or what i was entitled to so i took their word for it and gave all correct information from me so its their fault not noticing this sooner. If i did not go in last week with my partner new payslip i would never have known that they were over paying me. So what ever i get next week no idea what is now but i have my partner to help me with his wages as long keep on top rent nd bills all matters me . I am to happy with internship starting tomorrow to care about this they messed up and i have suffer so i just pay it and get over with what more can i do .

Hmm if you were getting 234 euro per week then there is no way you should owe that much to them as you were claiming for 15 weeks in that period which means you were getting at least 274 euro per week on top of what you are entitled to.

I would have another chat with them.

You are blaming the social a lot in this by the way but you have to take some responsibility as well. You need to research these things. It is a very well known fact that the maximum you can get right now is 188 per week without adding in other benefits.

Gummybear2013

I just confused with it all and i dont have time with internship be going welfare office so for peace sake i just going pay it all back my partner said he help any way can with his wages but i rather pay myself. I be fine way i see it is they over pay me and they made mistake but end day they gave me extra money i spent it so i have pay it all back they not going be nice about it really like

DanDublin1982

Along with the overpayment letter did you also get a new means assessment breakdown?

What are the differences in the two breakdowns?

Is your partner on significantly higher wages now than when you first made the claim? If so when did this occur?

salamanca22 wrote: »

Hmm if you were getting 234 euro per week then there is no way you should owe that much to them as you were claiming for 15 weeks in that period which means you were getting at least 274 euro per week on top of what you are entitled to.

I would have another chat with them.

You are blaming the social a lot in this by the way but you have to take some responsibility as well. You need to research these things. It is a very well known fact that the maximum you can get right now is 188 per week without adding in other benefits.

188 is for a single person which op is not.

DanDublin1982

eastbono wrote: »

€188 would be ops personal rate plus €124.80 for adult dependent €312.80 before any means are assessed.

I'm aware of that. I was responding to someone saying 188 was the max which is only true for a single person, just like I said.

eastbono

Gummybear2013 wrote: »

i was getting 234 euro a week and they worked out my partner pay slip which was full time that all i know. well some may know about this but i have no idea of rates or what i was entitled to so i took their word for it and gave all correct information from me so its their fault not noticing this sooner. If i did not go in last week with my partner new payslip i would never have known that they were over paying me. So what ever i get next week no idea what is now but i have my partner to help me with his wages as long keep on top rent nd bills all matters me . I am to happy with internship starting tomorrow to care about this they messed up and i have suffer so i just pay it and get over with what more can i do .

If you were receiving €234pw from sw then your partner would be earning gross less prsi €191 pw approx...assuming he is working more than 3 days per week.

wmpdd3

OP, if the social are saying you were overpaid the amount you gave in the figures at the top, they are saying you were not entitled to any payment at all.

If this is so, then you may get no payment next week, there may be no payment to take the €12 out of. Also you may not be eligible to do the internship, if you are not entitled to any payment.

salamanca22

Op has closed their account.