Social Security Benefits: Debts
2026-06-29 · Department for Work and Pensions · 14643 · Official question
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment his Department has made of the average time taken to recover benefit overpayment debts.
Answer
DWP’s overarching policy is that debts should be recovered as quickly and cost effectively as possible without causing financial hardship to customers. To support this, the Department sets limits to how much can be deducted and a “deductions priority orde...