DWP says it’ll fine UK households £50 for failing to make check
The Department for Work and Pensions says Universal Credit claimants could be hit with GBP50 fine if they don't make a simple check. The Government is currently discussing more powers to give to the Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP[1] ) to help them claim down on benefit fraud. Since 2012, the DWP has been able to hand out GBP50 fines to those who do not declare overpayments of their benefit.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) have the power to impose a fixed rate civil penalty on some claimants who have been overpaid a social security benefit. The civil penalty is GBP50. It will be added to the total amount of the overpayment and will be recovered by the same method.
For each overpayment, only one civil penalty can be applied. For a civil penalty to apply, the overpayment must have happened after 1 October 2012, and be an amount of GBP65.01 or more, and be recoverable. The overpayment of benefit must have been caused by a person making an incorrect statement, or negligently giving incorrect information, and that person not taking 'reasonable steps' to correct the error. If you agree that you have been overpaid but you don't think you should have been given a civil penalty you can challenge the decision to give you a civil penalty. You will first have to request Mandatory Reconsideration of the decision. You have one month to request Mandatory Reconsideration, the government says. You should explain why you think you should not have been given a civil penalty. If the DWP do not change their decision, you can appeal to an Independent Tribunal. You then only have one month from the date of the DWP's decision on your request for Mandatory Reconsideration to request an appeal, the government adds.References