Overpayment and Debt Management

Hi

Hoping someone is having the same experience and can offer advice.

I have a client who is having deductions made to his benefit totalling around £90pm. Client has asked UC and Debt Management several times what the deduction is for. I sent Debt Management a letter (unable to get through on the phone) asking for the deductions to be reduced but also asking for details of the debt. Despite doing this, DWP sent out a letter to our client refusing to lower the amount and did not give ANY details of the debt i.e. what benefit, how much is owed etc.

Has anyone else experienced this refusal by the DWP to let clients know what the debt is for and how much is owed? How was it resolved?

We need this information to determine whether we need to appeal it.

Thanks Adam

I haven’t had this exact situation but I suggest two possibilities: (1) threaten judicial review. CPAG have a template for refusing to lower deductions and you could adapt it to add in refusal to tell client what the deduction is; (2) subject access request. That will probably reveal what it’s for - might even reveal an appealable error. If you’ve got the time and energy to plough through page after page of incomprehensible DWP acronyms and jargon.