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Hi
i was handed a letter sent to an address that i have not lived at for 13 yrs
medway council had sent an attatchment of earnings order to my employee for £503,for a debt
dated 12/09.
I rang them up and made an offer to pay £50 pm,which they accepted.
when i got my next wages,they took the whole amount,and after ringing them,they said it was too late
to cancel the original order,and now they have the money,it was basically tough and no refund would be issued
even tho i explained the hardship this was going to cause.
They stated that they had sent letters and a balif to the add for which the (housing benefit overpayment) debt was issued.
I have not lived at that address for 6 years,they then sent letters to an add i moved from 13 yrs ago!
during one of my calls,i asked them why they had not sent any letters to my currant Add,and the fact that i was still in medway,
a council tax payer and on the register of electors! They said it was an oversight and they should of traced me.
so they by their own admission put me in a situation where i was unable to make monthly payments.
Under the freedom of information act,i then requested all correspondance,phone calls,emails and letters associated with the debt
and to what add these had been sent.
under the governents own guidelines,it states that housing benefit overpayment is not suitable to be collected by an attatchment of earnings.
So this is a 10 yr old debt,possibly statute barred,collected illegaly(possibly)
The email i got back from them under the freedom of information act,shows 3 letters sent to old addresses.
Please can you advise me if there is a legal route that is open to me to recover the £503
many thx Lance
i was handed a letter sent to an address that i have not lived at for 13 yrs
medway council had sent an attatchment of earnings order to my employee for £503,for a debt
dated 12/09.
I rang them up and made an offer to pay £50 pm,which they accepted.
when i got my next wages,they took the whole amount,and after ringing them,they said it was too late
to cancel the original order,and now they have the money,it was basically tough and no refund would be issued
even tho i explained the hardship this was going to cause.
They stated that they had sent letters and a balif to the add for which the (housing benefit overpayment) debt was issued.
I have not lived at that address for 6 years,they then sent letters to an add i moved from 13 yrs ago!
during one of my calls,i asked them why they had not sent any letters to my currant Add,and the fact that i was still in medway,
a council tax payer and on the register of electors! They said it was an oversight and they should of traced me.
so they by their own admission put me in a situation where i was unable to make monthly payments.
Under the freedom of information act,i then requested all correspondance,phone calls,emails and letters associated with the debt
and to what add these had been sent.
under the governents own guidelines,it states that housing benefit overpayment is not suitable to be collected by an attatchment of earnings.
So this is a 10 yr old debt,possibly statute barred,collected illegaly(possibly)
The email i got back from them under the freedom of information act,shows 3 letters sent to old addresses.
Please can you advise me if there is a legal route that is open to me to recover the £503
many thx Lance