What is an overpayment?

An overpayment of benefit occurs when you are paid Housing and/or Council Tax Benefit to which you have no entitlement. This generally results from a change in circumstances reducing your benefit from a date in the past, such as:

• You may have neglected to advise us of an increase in your income, for example:
  • Tax Credit
  • Wages
  • State benefits
  • Pensions
• Somebody may have moved into or out of your home. This would mean that your entitlement would need to be recalculated
• The circumstances of other adults who live with you may have changed
• You may have moved out of your home and not told us
• You may have started work, or changed jobs

Even if the overpayment isn’t your fault you may still be required to repay it, if the Council could reasonably expect you to know you were being overpaid.

If an overpayment is created, North Norfolk District Council is duty bound to recover it.

If the overpayment is the result of fraud, we will recover any benefit paid to you that you were not entitled to. You could also be prosecuted - see our Benefit Fraud page.