- Problems with your Child Benefit - where to start
- You haven't received your usual Child Benefit payment
- Child Benefit overpayments
Child Benefit overpayments
If you're paid too much Child Benefit it's called an 'overpayment'. You must report any overpayment to the Child Benefit Office as soon as you know about it. You should also report a change of circumstances as quickly as possible to help prevent an overpayment building up. You should answer any letters you get about an overpayment as quickly as you can.
On this page:
- Why overpayments happen
- How do you know if you've been overpaid?
- If you know you've been overpaid but don't declare it
- Do you have to pay the money back?
- How you pay back overpayments
- If you want to appeal
- Where to get help and advice
- More useful links
Why overpayments happen
Overpayments usually happen when your Child Benefit payments haven't been adjusted to match your changed circumstances.
Examples of changes you need to report straight away include:
- if your child over the age of 16 leaves education or training that qualifies for Child Benefit
- if you leave the UK for more than eight weeks
- if your child leaves home
Find out what Child Benefit changes you need to report
Child Benefit if your child is in further education or training
How do you know if you've been overpaid?
The Child Benefit Office sends you a letter telling you that you've been overpaid and it shows:
- how much you've been overpaid
- why the overpayment happened
- whether you have to pay the money back
- what you can do if you want to know more about the decision or think it is wrong
- that you will get another letter telling you how you can pay the money back
If you think you've been overpaid, don't wait for the Child Benefit Office to contact you - get in touch straight away to explain the situation. They will tell you if you're getting the right amount.
If you know you've been overpaid but don't declare it
If you know you've been overpaid but don't do anything about it, you could be suspected of committing benefit fraud. It's the same if you deliberately fail to report a change in your personal circumstances. If you're prosecuted for benefit fraud you could be fined or get a prison sentence, as well as having to repay the overpayment.
Do you have to pay the money back?
If the overpayment was your fault - perhaps you didn't report a change in your circumstances or gave wrong information - you may have to pay it back. If it was caused by an administrative error you still may be asked to pay it back, particularly if you could reasonably be expected to realise you were being overpaid.
How you pay back overpayments
You usually have to pay the overpayment back in a lump sum. The payslip that you get with the letter asking you to repay the money tells you about the various ways you can pay the money back.
If however you are still getting Child Benefit you can also:
- ask to have your Child Benefit payments withheld until you have paid all your overpayment back
- ask to have an amount deducted from your Child Benefit payments until the overpayment has been paid back
To talk to someone about paying back the money, call the telephone number shown on your letter.
If you want to appeal
You have the right to appeal against the Child Benefit Office's decision that you have been overpaid.
How to appeal against a Child Benefit decision
Where to get help and advice
You can get further help with any questions on overpayments from the Child Benefit Office. You can do this by sending them your query online.
Alternatively, you can call the Child Benefit Helpline on Tel 0845 302 1444 or Textphone 0845 302 1474. The Helpline is open between 8.00 am and 8.00 pm, seven days a week, except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day.
If your preferred language is Welsh you can call on Tel 0845 302 1489, and if you live outside the UK you can call on Tel + 44 161 210 3086.
If you prefer you can also write to:
Child Benefit Office
PO Box 1
Newcastle-upon-Tyne
NE88 1AA
Send us your Child Benefit query online
