Debt owed

amy1plus2

I received a letter from Social Welfare - "Notification to repay your debt" - stating I have 21 days to repay my debt of 148Euro. I have no idea what this is from - I have not received any other letters from them about it - I don't even know what the debt is for? As far as I can tell I was not paid any extra - My husband and I have an amalgamated claim and we haven't been paid over extra any week. Any ideas?

mp22

Write to the dept and ask for a breakdown of the debt.

Ever2010

Definitely ask for a breakdown - we are still waiting on them dealing with an outstanding amount 2 years later, we've been given 5 different figures, we thought we had paid back everything only for them to add that figure to their next one! Luckily we had the receipt.

spurious

OP, did you ever hear anything more on this?

I have a Latvian friend who was here for a couple of years with her husband and kids while he was working. Before she went home (for good) she went into social welfare and they told her she needed to pay them back an amount of money, so she did so before she left. Now, three years later, she has received one of these debt letters telling her she owes 500 odd euro.

When she showed me it first, i thought it was some sort of scam, since it just says 'you owe us' not mentioning what type of over payment or erroneous payment or whatever it is she is supposed to owe them.

FloatingVoter

Agreed about getting the breakdown. And if there is debt owing due to an overpayment it usually is recollected at 15% of a standard €188 adult payment (about €28 pw). That amount in itself is negotiable with a good excuse (ie. kids to feed and clothe).
If the mistake was made by the department (in original overpayment or letter issued) you're owed an apology and owe nothing. A human will sort that out, the computers that spit these letters out are not good on understanding. So do get that breakdown. If it's working and claiming, they have you - pay up. If it's a dodgy clerical error at SWs end, then how the hell are you responsible. The breakdown of the figures will give you those answers.

pl4ichjgy17zwd

FloatingVoter wrote:

Agreed about getting the breakdown. And if there is debt owing due to an overpayment it usually is recollected at 15% of a standard €188 adult payment (about €28 pw). That amount in itself is negotiable with a good excuse (ie. kids to feed and clothe). If the mistake was made by the department (in original overpayment or letter issued) you're owed an apology and owe nothing. A human will sort that out, the computers that spit these letters out are not good on understanding. So do get that breakdown. If it's working and claiming, they have you - pay up. If it's a dodgy clerical error at SWs end, then how the hell are you responsible. The breakdown of the figures will give you those answers.

Even if SW make the original error, you still have to pay it back, or at least was the case for a family member of mine.

FloatingVoter

Lucas Flaky Lubrication wrote: »

Even if SW make the original error, you still have to pay it back, or at least was the case for a family member of mine.

SW policy nowadays is analyse the problem threefold, outright fraud - working and claiming or anything above...you're in ****. A 50/ 50 where maybe you should have seen the fact that they were paying FIS and one parent - that'll be negotiable and not backdatable. A complete screwup where you were getting €100 per week even though you turned 25 10 years back, they pay and pay large.
Don't believe the randomer on the net, pop into Intreo next week and ask that question at the counter.