My client was overpaid in 03-04. When her renewal form is processed her 04-05 award will be cut by 25% to recover the overpayment, but - because this recovery won't start till about September - the reduction in payments will be about 40%+. This will cause her hardship & she will need immediate relief.

The Code of Practice on overpayments (COP26) says (page 8)that recovery can be spread over a longer period in cases of hardship, but there is no information about how to claim hardship or how long TCO take to make a decision on a claim.

I have spoken to the Helpline, and to 2 people in different sections of Customer Relations. None of them have any information on what to do. The only suggestion is to ring the number in COP26 - 0151 966 1151. However, in my experience over the last few months this number is always engaged.

Does anyone have any information please? Is there a form to complete to claim hardship? If so, where can it be obtained? Is there an office dealing with claims, and is its address & phone number available?

there's some stuff re this @

http://www.rightsnet.org.uk/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=254&mesg_id=254&page=

Thanks for that, Shawn. I forgot to say my client's case is with the Adjudicator's Office to decide whether the overpayment should be recovered (and TCO have not sent their report to the Adjudicator 5 months after being requested!), but the renewal form will be processed (and the Helpline inform me automatic recovery will then be started) before this decision is made.

Because of this, I'm not sure the info in the thread you refer to is relevant - the form (such as it is) refers to possible non-recovery rather than to hardship causing recovery to be spread over a longer period. We want to minimise my client's repayments pending a - hopefully favourable - Adjudicator's decision.

However, I note Andrew Fisher was trying to get a fax number for the Overpayment Disputes Team. If he - or anyone else - has succeeded in getting one (&/or a phone number) it would be very helpful.

...Failed I'm afraid but I notice a missive from the policy liaison and external relations team today has a phone number of 01772 235527. If they don't know where the op disputes resolution team is then maybe there isn't one.

If you're saying that 25% would have been OK but 40% will cause hardship then what budgetting advice has the client been getting?