Naci Natji, 62, from Hastings, East Sussex, is one of thousands of welfare recipients plunged into debt after the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) paid them more than they were eligible for.
The errors led to more than 680,000 universal credit overpayments in 2023/24, which are either deducted from recipients’ benefits or incurred as debt.
Benefits claimants said the DWP errors occurred when they were already “living hand-to-mouth” and described the debt they faced as “soul destroying”.
He now fears he will be left homeless as he struggles to pay his rent.
Mr Natji also receives personal independence payments and said that if he did not get disability payments on top of his universal credit, he “wouldn’t be able to survive”.
“I owe money now for the rest of my life,” he said.
Mr Natji is blind in one eye and partially blind in the other (Photo: supplied)The DWP said it had no record of Mr Natji declaring the full value of his pension.
Abdi Mohamed, head of policy, campaigns and public affairs at disability charity Scope, said the welfare system is “unnecessarily complex”, but the fear of overpayment debt “makes it more confusing, instilling fear and distrust in disabled people.
“The DWP has a duty to get things right for disabled people and make sure they receive the correct payments at the correct time.”
She added that others avoid applying for the support they need because “they’re scared of ending up in the same position”.
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“To further protect people, we have additional safeguards in place before any recovery action takes place,” the spokesperson added.
One example is the “eligibility verification measure”, which will require banks to share limited data on claimants who may be receiving an incorrect payment.
The Government’s “fair repayment rate”, enforced last month, has also placed a limit on the amount people in debt can have taken off their benefits to pay what they owe.
For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch. See www.samaritans.org for details.
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