Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 22 November 2022 to Question 88884 on Universal Credit: Overpayments, how much was waived in each of the 25 instances of a discretionary waiver being applied.

The overall value of the 25 cases referenced in Question 88884, equates to £234,396.46.

Waivers are only granted in exceptional circumstances, typically where the recovery of the overpayment is causing substantial medical and/or financial hardship.

More information on the waiver process can be found at Chapter 8 of the department’s Benefit Overpayment Recovery Guide:

Benefit overpayment recovery guide - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

DWP remains committed to working with anyone who is struggling with their repayment terms, and has a well-established process to support them to manage their debts.

Anyone struggling with their repayment terms is encouraged to contact the department to discuss a temporary reduction in their rate of repayment.