DWP asking thousands of Universal Credit claimants to pay back money received during pandemic

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has asked thousands of people to pay back Universal Credit payments received during the pandemic, reports suggest. The government is attempting to claw back around £500 million in benefit handouts, according to the Independent.

Just short of 15,000 people say they have been asked to hand back money they are entitled to, reports suggest, with many being told to make repayments simply because they missed phone calls and messages from the DWP as it carries out retrospective evidence checks.

The DWP suspended face-to-face evidence checks during the pandemic and is now working through a backlog of claims to gather the correct evidence. The government department said claimants who do not "provide evidence/fully engage in the process” could be asked to hand the money back.

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The Independent reports that around 125,000 people have been asked to pay back the money, with many being asked for thousands of pounds. Around 14,500 people are appealing against the payback orders.

Jonathan Ashworth, Labour's shadow work and pensions secretary, said: "It's shameful that ministers are pursuing what could be thousands of people for debt they do not owe, in the middle of a cost of living crisis. Instead of parading around supporting their chosen leadership candidates, ministers in the DWP should be focused on their day jobs and solving the pressing problems in their department."

In the first year of the pandemic, the number of people on Universal Credit in the UK doubled, increasing to 6 million in January 2021, Bristol Live reports. In May 2022, 5.6million people claimed the benefit. The government also introduced a