Section 71ZB — Social Security Administration Act 1992: Recovery of overpayments of certain benefits

Recovery of overpayments of certain benefits 71ZB 1 The Secretary of State may recover any amount of the following paid in excess of entitlement—

a universal credit, b jobseeker's allowance, c employment and support allowance, and d except in prescribed circumstances, housing credit (within the meaning of the State Pension Credit Act 2002).

2 An amount recoverable under this section is recoverable from—

a the person to whom it was paid, or b such other person (in addition to or instead of the person to whom it was paid) as may be prescribed.

3 An amount paid in pursuance of a determination is not recoverable under this section unless the determination has been—

a reversed or varied on an appeal, or b revised or superseded under section 9 or section 10 of the Social Security Act 1998, except where regulations otherwise provide.

4 Regulations may provide that amounts recoverable under this section are to be calculated or estimated in a prescribed manner.

5 Where an amount of universal credit is paid for the sole reason that a payment by way of prescribed income is made after the date which is the prescribed date for payment of that income, that amount is for the purposes of this section paid in excess of entitlement.

6 In the case of a benefit referred to in subsection (1) which is awarded to persons jointly, an amount paid to one of those persons may for the purposes of this section be regarded as paid to the other.

7 An amount recoverable under this section may (without prejudice to any other means of recovery) be recovered—

a by deduction from benefit (section 71ZC);

b by deduction from earnings (section 71ZD);

c through the courts etc (section 71ZE);

d by adjustment of benefit (section 71ZF).