Overpayment Query

5thGhostbuster · 09-04-2021 1:16pm #1

Does anyone know how overpayments are collected if arranged weekly/monthly? Is a bank account number provided and a direct debit set up or...?

Thanks

Dempo1 · 09-04-2021 4:38pm

5thGhostbuster wrote: »

Does anyone know how overpayments are collected if arranged weekly/monthly? Is a bank account number provided and a direct debit set up or...?

Thanks

It would depend on the overpayment and if your currently in receipt of a payment. If you are an agreed amount will be deducted weekly, usually quite low. If its an overpayment on a previous claim, SW Will supply bank account details for you to discharge the overpayment, they are quite flexible so discuss with them. If its and overpayment of PUP, there's a mechanism to repay through a mywelfare account.

5thGhostbuster · 09-04-2021 6:54pm

Dempo1 wrote: »

It would depend on the overpayment and if your currently in receipt of a payment. If you are an agreed amount will be deducted weekly, usually quite low. If its an overpayment on a previous claim, SW Will supply bank account details for you to discharge the overpayment, they are quite flexible so discuss with them. If its and overpayment of PUP, there's a mechanism to repay through a mywelfare account.

Cheers for that info. I’ve been given information about a possible overpayment but no direction as to how to repay it, obviously want to clear it swiftly as I can. Maybe that information will be supplied later on?

Dempo1 · 09-04-2021 6:58pm

5thGhostbuster wrote: »

Cheers for that info. I’ve been given information about a possible overpayment but no direction as to how to repay it, obviously want to clear it swiftly as I can. Maybe that information will be supplied later on?

If your not on any benefit now, they'll write to you in time and supply a bank account to pay into etc, as regards to being on a current benefit they'll discuss a payment option and deduct. I would not be overly concerned, SW are quite flexible in these situations. Good luck

5thGhostbuster · 07-06-2021 9:13pm

Dempo1 wrote: »

If your not on any benefit now, they'll write to you in time and supply a bank account to pay into etc, as regards to being on a current benefit they'll discuss a payment option and deduct. I would not be overly concerned, SW are quite flexible in these situations. Good luck

Hi again Dempo, just an update. I am long since signed off of welfare. I still haven't received any update / letter from them regarding overpayment. To make matters worse, I soon have to travel abroad to sit a professional exam. With the way the world is with covid, I will be out of the country for about 4 weeks and in hotel quarantine in Ireland for 2 weeks, so 6 weeks in total away from home where this letter will be sent.

I'm worried if I receive this letter with the payment info while I am abroad and completely unaware that it has arrived. Then welfare wouldn't get a reply from myself to make a repayment arrangement as promptly as they would like. Would welfare then have the power to remove the full overpayment from my bank account without contacting myself?

I assume before things became that dire they would contact by phone or email?

Dempo1 · 07-06-2021 9:32pm

5thGhostbuster wrote: »

Hi again Dempo, just an update. I am long since signed off of welfare. I still haven't received any update / letter from them regarding overpayment. To make matters worse, I soon have to travel abroad to sit a professional exam. With the way the world is with covid, I will be out of the country for about 4 weeks and in hotel quarantine in Ireland for 2 weeks, so 6 weeks in total away from home where this letter will be sent.

I'm worried if I receive this letter with the payment info while I am abroad and completely unaware that it has arrived. Then welfare wouldn't get a reply from myself to make a repayment arrangement as promptly as they would like. Would welfare then have the power to remove the full overpayment from my bank account without contacting myself?

I assume before things became that dire they would contact by phone or email?

Hi again,

Remind me, is it a PUP or other overpayment, also I recall you saying it was a "possible" overpayment?

Normally if it's an overpayment from a standard SW payment, they would have written to you with the amount owed and a bank account to lodge into, basically you pay it off and as they are flexible, if you heard nothing definitive by now, it's likely no over payment was made, however I would add a little caution as the department really under pressure.

If its a PUP over payment, I'm guessing they would have notified you by now but again there are delays.

All I can advise is to contact the helpline or better still your local inter centre if you dealt with them as they'll have a full record if anything owed.

No is tge answer re removing funds from your bank account, that's not how it works, it's up to claimants to pay SW if an amount owed and again they are very flexible.

When. It comes to an over payment, contact normally by way of letter with bank details supplied within.

Kirby2k07 · 08-06-2021 8:42am

Dempo1 wrote: »

Hi again,

Remind me, is it a PUP or other overpayment, also I recall you saying it was a "possible" overpayment?

Normally if it's an overpayment from a standard SW payment, they would have written to you with the amount owed and a bank account to lodge into, basically you pay it off and as they are flexible, if you heard nothing definitive by now, it's likely no over payment was made, however I would add a little caution as the department really under pressure.

If its a PUP over payment, I'm guessing they would have notified you by now but again there are delays.

All I can advise is to contact the helpline or better still your local inter centre if you dealt with them as they'll have a full record if anything owed.

No is tge answer re removing funds from your bank account, that's not how it works, it's up to claimants to pay SW if an amount owed and again they are very flexible.

When. It comes to an over payment, contact normally by way of letter with bank details supplied within.

Thanks for replying so fast. Its actually a non-PUP overpayment, and its definitely confirmed, but its been referred to central debt collection I have been told. As such my local centre can't deal with the situation at all and are just as much as myself in the dark as to when I might receive communication.

The issue which worries myself is, as I have seen elsewhere on boards, these letters may typically give 14 days to make contact. I'm very afraid I will have just gone abroad for my exam, miss that window after the letter arrives etc as I live alone. That's my concern really, I won't have the opportunity to make a repayment arrangement. But surely if the department has my phone number / email they would try reach out before anything drastic like that right?

mondeoman72 · 08-06-2021 8:50am

I have an overpayment of about 400 euro. We agreed 50 a week to be docked out of my weekly payment. Quite clean and tidy.

Dempo1 · 08-06-2021 8:58am

Kirby2k07 wrote: »

Thanks for replying so fast. Its actually a non-PUP overpayment, and its definitely confirmed, but its been referred to central debt collection I have been told. As such my local centre can't deal with the situation at all and are just as much as myself in the dark as to when I might receive communication.

The issue which worries myself is, as I have seen elsewhere on boards, these letters may typically give 14 days to make contact. I'm very afraid I will have just gone abroad for my exam, miss that window after the letter arrives etc as I live alone. That's my concern really, I won't have the opportunity to make a repayment arrangement. But surely if the department has my phone number / email they would try reach out before anything drastic like that right?

This is quite extraordinary, when you say central collection agency are you saying a debt collection company? This is certainly not normal practice, certainly with an over payment and one that is so recent. I could understand understand if there was a conserted fraud (absolutely not suggesting this) but even that is a very long and complex investigation process.

I'm really not sure how to advise on this. The only info I have re repaying an overpayment is these are handled by the departments office in Shannon Lodge, Carrick on Shannon, number is 071 9672591.

It would appear something wrong here and you don't even appear to have been offered an option to pay by direct debit (and option usually given) or directly via the departments bank account which they supply. It seems extraordinary no effort on instruction how to pay back the over payment beyond informing you of the overpayment was made by the department?

I'd certainly call that number ASAP, have your PPSN to hand.

Kirby2k07 · 08-06-2021 9:40am

Dempo1 wrote: »

This is quite extraordinary, when you say central collection agency are you saying a debt collection company? This is certainly not normal practice, certainly with an over payment and one that is so recent. I could understand understand if there was a conserted fraud (absolutely not suggesting this) but even that is a very long and complex investigation process.

I'm really not sure how to advise on this. The only info I have re repaying an overpayment is these are handled by the departments office in Shannon Lodge, Carrick on Shannon, number is 071 9672591.

It would appear something wrong here and you don't even appear to have been offered an option to pay by direct debit (and option usually given) or directly via the departments bank account which they supply. It seems extraordinary no effort on instruction how to pay back the over payment beyond informing you of the overpayment was made by the department?

I'd certainly call that number ASAP, have your PPSN to hand.

That is probably the department my local centre referred to, maybe they called it the central debt unit? From what I searched online before posting I thought this unit dealt with PUP overpayments. I see they have posted their bank account details online officially and even on twitter, I wonder is it the same as non-PUP overpayments bank account number. It just seems bizarre neither has given myself details directly on paying. I wonder if it has to do with being overwhelmed with dealing with PUP at their department.

spurious · 08-06-2021 9:43am

I would double check any demands are actually coming from SW.

Dempo1 · 08-06-2021 9:58am

Kirby2k07 wrote: »

That is probably the department my local centre referred to, maybe they called it the central debt unit? From what I searched online before posting I thought this unit dealt with PUP overpayments. I see they have posted their bank account details online officially and even on twitter, I wonder is it the same as non-PUP overpayments bank account number. It just seems bizarre neither has given myself details directly on paying. I wonder if it has to do with being overwhelmed with dealing with PUP at their department.

OK, this is getting a little muddled.

Can you confirm if you have recieved a letter from SW either from your local Intero Centre or the Office in Carrick on Shannon? If so, when?

The process usually involves an informal notification from your Local Intero Centre, confirming over payment and options to discharge. It may contain details of Bank account you can set up a standing order to discharge the over payment.

This is then followed by a formal letter from the Department Office in Lietrim Which will have the details on how to discharge the over payment. Of course I advise caution due to scams etc but these are generally email, text, call scams, a formal letter highly unlikely.

I do advise you call the number I've supplied, put you mind at ease etc, you can set up a standing order amount that suits you or discharge completely, there really is nothing to be concerned about, the department very flexible. If you were in current receipt of a SW payment, they would just deduct a manageable amount weekly.

Apologies, I got a sense a Debt collection agency was involved which would be extraordinary and very unusual.

So put your mind at ease, contact the department and set up a manageable standing or or whatever suits.

Forget about PUP, nothing to do with your situation

mystic · 08-06-2021 5:49pm

Here's some clarification re. Overpayments.

When an overpayment is assessed the person is contacted by letter about the debt. A person is given up to 21 days to comment.....natural justice.

If a person is still getting a social welfare payment the Intreo Office/section set up the repayments, which can be set at 15% of their personal weekly payment. A person can also choose to pay off the debt/overpayment in full or instalments.

If a person is not getting a social welfare payment the debt/overpayment is managed by the Central Debt Unit. Again a person can opt to pay in full or instalments. I think the email address is central.debt@welfare.ie. Not sure if the first dot is in the email address.

Here's a link. It refers to PUP but applies to all SW payments. https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/858d89-how-to-repay-pandemic-unemployment-payment-if-received-in-error/

Hope this helps.

hawthorne · 10-06-2021 10:23am

To be honest- this looks like a fraud attempt.
Never ever heard of a central debt collection agency.
Some Indians who previously worked for the "Microsoft Technical Department"?

Dempo1 · 10-06-2021 1:22pm

hawthorne wrote: »

To be honest- this looks like a fraud attempt.
Never ever heard of a central debt collection agency.
Some Indians who previously worked for the "Microsoft Technical Department"?

There is infact an office within the DEASP that specifically deals with Debt repayment, whilst their Department name is not clear, they specifically deal with debt collection for the DEASP, they are based in Carrick on Shannon and deal directly with claimants who were over paid and or any debts outstanding for whatever reason. They do exist and there's no fraud attempt or even one being suggested.

fussyonion · 10-06-2021 2:55pm

My aunt was overpaid by €1000 on PUP. She never checked her payslips. She still has the money in the bank. She's called SW endless times but can't find the person to speak with who des with this sort of thing.
She spent €20 of phone credit on hold and was told to just 'wait til you're contacted".

Dempo1 · 10-06-2021 3:12pm

fussyonion wrote: »

My aunt was overpaid by €1000 on PUP. She never checked her payslips. She still has the money in the bank. She's called SW endless times but can't find the person to speak with who des with this sort of thing.
She spent €20 of phone credit on hold and was told to just 'wait til you're contacted".

Your conflating different issues. Firstly why would your aunt be looking at payslips with regards to PUP? It has nothing to do with payslips. Over payment of PUP is rare and generally as a result of either a claim not being closed on time of returning to work, or a payment was made by an employer (say owed holidays) whilst employee on PUP, other examples would include someone who was getting a temporary payment whilst PUP application being processed, or if someone was on a wage subsidy scheme at the same time as pup (in error)

Secondly over payments of PUP are currently handled through the mywelfare portal were it shows options on how to repay PUP overpayments.

The issue being referred to on this thread is an over payment of a standard SW Welfare PAYMENT JSA /JSB etc , to which a particular department within the DEASP deal with.

mystic · 11-06-2021 8:47pm

fussyonion wrote: »

My aunt was overpaid by €1000 on PUP. She never checked her payslips. She still has the money in the bank. She's called SW endless times but can't find the person to speak with who des with this sort of thing.
She spent €20 of phone credit on hold and was told to just 'wait til you're contacted".

Send this to your aunt
https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/858d89-how-to-repay-pandemic-unemployment-payment-if-received-in-error/

Overpayment Query

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