Does anyone know what happens when you have been overpaid through the benefits system? It's their mistkae, so do you get to keep the money?

I started claiming benefits for the first time ever in 2007 when my son was born, i have NEVER claimed before and worked right up until i went on maternity leave. However when they started paying me benefits on 4 occasions i rung up and said i was being over paid and on 4 occasions i was told no your not, thats what your entitled too. I even had the form sent back so i could double check what i had wrote me and my husband earned etc etc. They still sent me a letter saying 'no it's correct' what your getting. Then come the end of the tax year i get a letter saying i was overpaid nearly £4k!!! We are disputing this at the moment as we have proof that we queried it and now they saying different.
Anyway in my opinion what am trying to say is, if you claimed benefits when you shouldn't have then it's only right you pay it all back as there are some greedy beeps. I didn't wrongly claim and queried it but still have to pay it back until the dispute is sorted, it sucks! i shouldn't have to pay it back as it's their fault.
Anyway sorry for rambling on but it really gets my goat!!!

I can't believe you are even asking this! You are lucky you even get benefits- there are many other countries in the world where you would not be supported by tax payers money. If you have been given too much, any decent, honest person would own up. Whether they meant to give it you or not, this isn't actually your money. They have every right to have it paid back to them. Also, statistically you are very likely to get caught and then you are facing charges of benefit fraud.

this happened to my mum last year they paid her over £2000 more than she was meant to recieve.....they then got back to her and said this was not her fault and she wont need to pay it back...so dont listen to them

its theft and you could end up with a criminal record ..so confess don't spend it!
H

If you have been overpaid it will come out of your benefits. You will have to pay it back even if it is thier fault

I would have thought so, but then I suppose they can always say it was fraud. A difficult situation really, probably a vert fine line, but I know they are cracking down on it.