What is a housing benefit overpayment?
An overpayment is any amount of housing benefit that you were given and that you were not entitled to. You will need to pay it back. You can avoid overpayments by telling us of Change of circumstances immediately. If you know a change is going to happen in the future tell us before it happens.
What if I think the overpayment is wrong?
If you disagree with the overpayment and wish to have the decision reconsidered, read the information on our appeals page.
How do I pay it back?
When we send you an invoice or a final notice, you need to pay as the notice sets out.
The reference number you need to quote is your INVOICE number, which can be found your notice.
Your INVOICE number should be quoted on all correspondence and payments. To pay online please use the link below and select "Housing Benefits".
Make a payment online (opens new window)
Other ways to pay
Debit or credit card payments by phone
You can make repayments via the council's 24-hour payment line by calling 01895 556699. This line is open 24 hours a day.
When calling, have your card and INVOICE number to hand. You will need to choose option 3 to make a payment.
Online and telephone banking
If your bank offers internet banking or a telephone banking service with your account, you may use these to pay your housing benefit overpayment.
Contact your bank and provide them with the following details:
- Bank account number: 72430141
- Sort code: 60-22-10 (Natwest Bank)
- Payment reference: Your invoice number
Sending payments by post
Cheques or money orders should be made payable to the London Borough of Hillingdon and sent to:
Hillingdon Housing Benefit Overpayment, Civic Centre, High Street, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB8 1UW.
Ensure you write your reference number clearly, your name and address on the reverse of your cheque clearly.
By phone
Alternatively, call 01895 277011, where your payment will be taken over the phone. This line is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
Can I set up a direct debit with you?
We are sorry but we do not offer direct debit as a payment method currently. You can set up a standing order by asking your bank to send us payments every month (see above).
What if I cannot pay the amount back?
If you think you cannot pay as the invoice or notice is asking you to, then you will need to complete an
Income and Expenditure form (PDF)
[145KB]. You will need to send this back with bank statements to evidence that you cannot afford to pay as we have asked you to and propose a new payment arrangement.
Once we have reviewed your form, we will reply to you.
What happens if I don't pay?
If you do not repay the money you owe or do not keep to an instalment plan, we have agreed with you, we can either:
- If we don't receive payment or contact after we send the invoice, then we will send a final notice. If we don't receive payment or contact after we send the final notice, we will send a notice informing you we will recover the debt by another method (see below).
- We may pass your debt to an enforcement agent who will contact you directly. If we do this, you will need to repay the debt to them directly or contact them to negotiate an arrangement. They may take goods to repay your debt.
- We may ask your employer to recover your debt by making deductions directly from your wages. We do not need to go to court to do this. The deductions will be a set percentage of your net earnings and cannot be changed.
- If you are receiving benefits from the DWP for example Universal Credit, Job Seekers Allowance or Employment and Support Allowance we can ask the DWP to make deductions from your benefit to recover your debt. You can request this method of recovery if you are in receipt of benefits from the DWP.
How can I contact you?
The best way to contact us is to send an email to benefitsrecovery@hillingdon.gov.uk
If you do not have email you can contact us by phone on 01895 277011
Or by post at Benefits Recovery, Hillingdon Housing Benefit Overpayment, Civic Centre, High Street, Uxbridge, UB8 1UW
Can I get help with debt?
There are several sources where you can seek free and impartial debt advice.
Online
By phone