Help with cost of living crisis in Rossendale & Household Support Fund

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Housing Benefit overpayments

An overpayment occurs when you are paid more Housing Benefit than you are entitled to. 

You will be notified by letter if you are overpaid, this will explain:

  • How much the overpayment is
  • Why you were overpaid
  • What your correct benefit entitlement is for the period of the overpayment
  • Who the overpayment is being recovered from

Overpayments can be recovered in various ways:

  • From your ongoing Housing Benefit award
  • Directly from your earnings or DWP benefits
  • Directly from your landlord (if payments were made to the landlord in the first instance - in certain circumstances)
  • Via third parties such as enforcement agents or the County Court
  • From you via an agreed payment arrangement. 

If you think our Housing Benefit overpayment is wrong, you have one month from the date of our decision to:

  • Ask us for an explanation.
  • Ask us to look at the decision again, and if we can change it, we will send a new decision. If we cannot change it, you will have a further month in which to appeal.
  • Appeal in writing for an Independent Appeals Service Tribunal to look at the decision again. This should be submitted to Rossendale Borough Council.