Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many times his Department has used its discretionary waiver for Universal Credit overpayments in the last year.

The Department for Work and Pensions waived 25 Universal Credit overpayments in the last year.

Waivers are only granted in exceptional circumstances, usually where the recovery of the overpayment is causing substantial medical and/or financial hardship, and it can be clearly demonstrated that the debtor’s circumstances will only improve by waiver of the debt.

However, any claimants struggling with the proposed rate of deductions are encouraged to contact DWP Debt Management to discuss affordability, so that a lower repayment rate can be negotiated as appropriate.

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)