Universal Credit overpayment: Can I still keep Universal Credit overpayments?

“If you usually make repayments through a bank standing order, bank giro credit or by online banking, contact your bank to restart your repayments at the same rate as before.”

Failure to pay back a benefits overpayment could result in a raft of potential consequences for the claimant.

Causing an overpayment could result in a civil penalty – a fine imposed by the Government for wrongdoing.

In the worst case, someone may receive prosecution for committing benefit fraud.

The Government classes benefit fraud as not reporting a change in circumstances, or deliberately providing false information.