Guidance

Housing Benefit overpayments guide

This guide is for staff who deal with Housing Benefit overpayments for local authorities and housing authorities.

• From: Department for Work and Pensions
• Published: 27 February 2015
• Last updated: 13 August 2024 — See all updates

Applies to England, Scotland and Wales

Documents

Part 1: what is an overpayment

HTML

Part 1: What is an overpayment

PDF, 189 KB, 5 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format.

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email accessible.formats@dwp.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Part 2: Classification and recovery

HTML

Part 2: Classification and recovery

PDF, 273 KB, 21 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format.

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email accessible.formats@dwp.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Part 3: Calculation of overpayments

HTML

Part 3: Calculation of overpayments

PDF, 330 KB, 25 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format.

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email accessible.formats@dwp.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Part 4: Recovery of overpayments

HTML

Part 4: Recovery of overpayments

PDF, 440 KB, 39 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format.

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email accessible.formats@dwp.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Part 5: Decision notices

HTML

Part 5: Decision notices

PDF, 132 KB, 4 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format.

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email accessible.formats@dwp.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Part 6: Appeals

HTML

Part 6: Appeals

PDF, 126 KB, 4 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format.

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email accessible.formats@dwp.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Part 7: Courts and civil proceedings

HTML

Part 7: Courts and civil proceedings

PDF, 382 KB, 31 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format.

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email accessible.formats@dwp.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Details

This guide covers all aspects of Housing Benefit overpayments, including:

• what is an overpayment
• classification and recovery of overpayments
• calculating overpayments
• recovering overpayments
• decision notices
• appeals
• courts and civil proceedings
• the legal requirements

This guidance is not intended to be an authoritative statement of the law. The law is set out in the:

• Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992
• Social Security Administration Act 1992, as amended
• regulations and orders made under those acts

Good practice guide

There is also a good practice guide for local authority staff on recovering Housing Benefit overpayments.

Published 27 February 2015
Last updated 13 August 2024 + show all updates

1. 13 August 2024

   Updated example 4, para 2.64 'Subsidy easement' of 'Part 2: Classification and recovery' with an additional bullet point to confirm Local Authority (LA) action taken.

2. 6 March 2023

   All Chapters (1 to 7) have been updated in HTML and PDF format.

3. 30 April 2020

   Added updated version of 'Part 2: Classification and recovery'.

4. 23 January 2020

   Added updated version of 'Part 1: What is an overpayment'.

5. 2 October 2017

   Corrected subsidy rate in row 5 of table 2.05 in 'Part 2: Classification and recovery' from 100% to nil.

6. 13 July 2015

   Amended paragraph 5.13 of Part 5 Decision Notices to clarify what we mean by 'without prejudice'.

7. 27 February 2015

   First published.