Overpaid Housing Benefit

If you have been overpaid Housing Benefit, it means that you have been paid Benefit that you're not entitled to.

This can be because:

  • you left the home that you claimed Benefit in, and we had already paid you for a period after the date you left
  • you, or a member or your household, have had a change in circumstances or income, resulting in your Benefit being reduced, and we have already paid you at a higher amount for the same period
  • you didn't tell us that your circumstances have changed and we have paid you Benefit that you're not entitled to.

We will notify you by letter and send you an invoice for the Housing Benefit element of your overpayment.

How to get your Overpayment Reduced

If you have been overpaid Housing Benefit there are some circumstances in which this could be reduced by "underlying entitlement".

Please read our Underlying Entitlement leaflet [72KB] for further information.

Repay Overpaid Housing Benefit

Once you receive your invoice, you can then pay in a variety of ways. If you still have a benefit entitlement we will recover the overpayment from you by reducing the amount of benefit you receive.

If you're no longer receiving Housing Benefit, you must pay the invoice within the timescales given.

You can repay your Housing Benefit overpayment online.

Or you can pay by:

  • BACS payment directly from your account - details can be found on your invoice
  • telephone using a credit or debit card
  • cash at our offices

If you can't afford to pay the notice in full, you must contact us so we can make an arrangement for you to pay by instalments.

Please note if you do not pay according to the agreement this option will be withdrawn.

Failure to repay your invoice or contact us will result in an attachment order to other benefits or your earnings.