What is a Housing Benefit overpayment?

Why you’ve got an invoice or overpayment letter

An overpayment is when we’ve paid you too much Housing Benefit.

This can happen when there is a change in your circumstances, or because we’ve found that your benefit is incorrect.

For example:

• you have started working but we based your benefit payments on Jobseeker's Allowance
• you have changed address, but your benefit payments continued

You can get advice and guidance about your letter by calling 020 8359 2111.

Lines open:

• Monday to Thursday from 9am to 5.15pm
• Friday from 9am to 5pm

What we do when there is an overpayment

If you get Housing Benefit, we will take the overpayment from your benefit payments.

You will need to pay the difference in your Housing Benefit payment to your landlord. If your landlord receives your Housing Benefit you should notify them.

If you do not get Housing Benefit, we will send you an invoice and a letter telling you how we made the decision and how to pay.

If you think the decision is wrong, you can appeal. This must be within 1 month of the date of the decision.

How we calculate the overpaid amount

When we identify an overpayment, we will work out:

• the amount of the overpayment
• the period of the overpayment
• the reason it occurred
• who we should claim it back from

Ask us how we have calculated your overpayment

It can take 5 to 10 days to respond to your message.

How to avoid an overpayment

If you want to avoid an overpayment happening, tell us as soon as possible about any changes to your:

• income support or jobseekers allowance
• employment status
• income and/or savings
• property
• household
• capital

You should also read your benefit award letter to make sure we have used the right information to work out your benefit.