Doncaster Council

If you have been overpaid benefit, we have paid you more Housing Benefit than you are entitled to.

Why do overpayments of benefit occur?
We may have paid you too much Housing Benefit. This could occur for example if:

• You have a change in your circumstances which means you are entitled to less benefit and we have already paid benefit up to a date after your circumstances changed;
• Someone who lives with you has a change in their circumstances which means you are entitled to less benefit and we have already paid benefit up to a date after their circumstances changed;
• You have a change in your circumstances that you don't tell us about and we carry on paying you benefit that you are not entitled to.            

Will you ask for the money back?
Normally, we will ask you to pay back the overpayment. But, if we paid you too much benefit because we made a mistake, we will not ask you to pay the money back unless we think you knew you were getting too much benefit.