Who to talk to about deductions from your Universal Credit

If you have difficulty repaying an over-payment

If you are finding it difficult to repay an over-payment due to financial hardship, contact Debt Management right away. 

You can ask about an affordable repayment plan and other options like reduced repayments. 

In unique circumstances, recovery of all, or part of your over-payment may be able to be waived.  

You will need to give more financial or medical information to support a waiver request. You have no right of appeal against a decision not to grant a waiver.

Learn more about over-payments of benefit and financial support or you can write to Debt Management Northern Ireland.

Universal Credit over-payments

To ask about a Universal Credit over-payment, or to dispute or appeal against a decision, contact Universal Credit:

• through your Universal Credit online account 

or 

• speak to your work coach in your local Jobs & Benefits office

To find out how much you owe due to a Universal Credit over-payment, to make a repayment, or discuss reducing your repayments, contact Debt Management.

Universal Credit advance loan

To ask about delaying advance loan repayments, to dispute a decision or talk about your repayments, contact Universal Credit:

•  through your Universal Credit online account  

or 

• phone the Universal Credit Service Centre

To make a repayment, contact Debt Management.

You can check the balance of your Universal Credit advance loan through your Universal Credit online account.

What happens to your debts if Universal Credit is stopped

To get back any money you owe, Universal Credit can take the relevant amount:

• from other benefits or payments you get

or

• from your pay (through a Direct Earnings Attachment)

A debt-collection agency will be used to get this money back.

You may prefer to contact Debt Management to pay back any money you owe.

Messages to your online account will be answered as soon as possible during business hours.

Hardship payment

For more information, or to dispute or appeal against a decision about a Hardship payment, contact Universal Credit:

• through your Universal Credit online account 

or 

• speak to your work coach in your local Jobs & Benefits office

To make a repayment, contact Debt Management.

Third party deductions

This is an amount taken from your Universal Credit payments to pay a creditor or supplier you owe money to. 

This could be for things like:

• household bills such as electricity or rates arrears
• court fines
• child maintenance payments 

For more information, or to dispute or appeal against a decision, contact Universal Credit:

• through your Universal Credit online account 

or 

• phone the Universal Credit Service Centre

If you have made some payments direct to the third party supplier, you can contact them to ask about the money you owe or to make a repayment. 

Their contact details will be on your most recent bill or their website.

Benefit overpayments

To make a repayment, or to discuss reducing your repayments, contact Debt Management.

Housing Benefit  overpayments

For information, or to dispute or appeal against a decision, contact Northern Ireland Housing Executive.

To make a repayment or to discuss reducing your repayments, contact Debt Management.

Discretionary Support and short-term benefit advance loans

For more information on these types of loan over-payments, or to dispute or appeal against a decision, contact Finance Support Service.

Budgeting loan repayments

For more information, or to dispute a decision, call or write to the Social Fund Budgeting loans service.

To make a repayment or ask about reducing your repayments, contact Debt Management.

Tax credits overpayments

For information on Tax credits overpayments, or to dispute or appeal against a decision, contact HMRC.

To make a repayment or ask about reducing your repayments, contact Debt Management.

Independent help and advice

If you would like independent help and advice on Universal Credit or any of the other welfare changes, you can visit any independent advice office or contact:

• AdviceNI
• Housing Rights
• Money Helper

More useful links

• Make the call
• Appeal a benefit decision
• Help with health costs
• School uniform and uniform grants
• Nutrition and free school lunches
• Home to school transport