What happens if you've been overpaid, how to repay overpaid Housing Benefit and what to do if you can't pay the money back
If you're paid too much benefit it's called an 'overpayment'.
Overpayments usually happen when your benefit hasn't been altered to match your changed circumstances. You must tell us if your circumstances change.
If you think you've been paid too much, please contact us straight away.
What happens if you get paid too much
We'll write to you about the overpayment, and tell you:
- the reason for the overpayment
- how much you've been overpaid
- what period the overpayment relates to
- if the overpayment will be recovered and how
How we recover overpaid Housing Benefit
If you're no longer on benefit, we'll send you an invoice for the full Housing Benefit overpayment.
If you still experience deductions from your Housing Benefit to recover an overpayment, contact us online.
If the Department for Work and Pensions was recovering a Housing Benefit overpayment on our behalf from Universal Credit, this will start to be deducted again.
If you've any questions about Universal Credit, contact The Department for Work and Pensions.
Pay an invoice for overpaid Housing Benefit
You'll need:
- your invoice number
- the name as it appears on the invoice
- your address and post code and
- your credit or debit card details
Pay an invoice for overpaid Housing Benefit
Other ways to pay
By telephone
Call 0117 903 6402 (24-hour payment line).
Find out more about call charges on GOV.UK.
You'll need:
- your invoice number
- the name as it appears on the invoice
- your address and post code and
- your credit or debit card details
By post
Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction (100 TS), Bristol City Council, PO Box 3399, Bristol, BS1 9NE.
You'll need to include:
- the invoice number
- the name as it appears on the invoice
- your address and post code.
Never send cash to us through the post.
If you disagree with our decision
We may be able to look at that decision again.