UCHCE overpayment recovery with no notice to claimant

Hi gang

I’ve just got a right of access disclosure back from UC.

What it confirms is that they recovered an overpayment from the landlord without even notifying the claimant that they’d been overpaid.

The landlord; in their grace, notified them of the rent arrears by serving possession proceedings. They made no inquiries before refunding the money to UC. “It happens all the time” according to the Housing Officer who turned up at court.

Fortunately we had someone on the duty scheme at court and caught it before possession could be granted, as it may have been had the client not been wise enough to attend court; as so many don’t…

I will be asking Daphne to escalate this once she’s come down off her cloud as long as the client agrees.

Yours worriedly

Disgruntled of Tunbridge Wells