ESA overpayment

Hi I’ve been landed with a £27000 overpayment bill! In 2012 I was told I was one of many people on the wrong esa and was given a back payment and payments raised. Who’d argue with that?!
Now they say I shouldn’t have got it because of my work pension.
I’m totally stressed out. Anyone else had this?

This seems to be a huge oversight on their part I hope you get it resolved.

I am not on this scale in any way, but I have recently had an overpayment. I had problems with missing payments in the autumn and had to phone in a few times. I was told there was too much information on my file and the computer was unable to make the payment. Rather odd, but they said it would be resolved.

In January I got a payment just under £13 higher than usual. Like you, I have a pension which reduces my payments. As some of my autumn payments had been quite late, I assumed it was money I was due. Then a letter arrived confirming I was entitled to ESA and that there was a calculation on the next page. That page was missing so I phoned in again. I was told the calculation was correct and the letter was just sent out because they had sorted my file issues.

I have low confidence in the call handlers having the correct information, so I covered my back by writing to them. I gave them details of my previous payments, and the date of increase and asked them to check again that my increased payment was correct. That was a month ago and I still haven't heard anything. My payment came in today at the higher amount again. I kept a copy of the letter and proof of postage. I am anxious that in future I will face a letter from them with this kind of demand.