Claimants 'turn to food banks' when asked to repay

Some people are turning to food banks when they are asked to refund social security overpayments, it is claimed

Some benefit claimants are turning to foodbanks to make ends meet when they are asked to correct overpayments, charities say.

The Salvation Army in Jersey has told a review into income support overpayments that people are significantly struggling to pay back excess money.

Catholic charity Caritas also said more people affected were coming to it for help. 

The minister responsible for social security said she was "disappointed" to hear of the issue.

Richard Nunn, from the Salvation Army, said: "We are seeing a significant number of people of all ages and demographics really coming to us and saying that the repaying of those overpayments is part of the reason why they are coming.

"I believe this is something that definitely needs to be looked at and reviewed.

"Engaging with people that are struggling financially in a meaningful way is really important."

Mandy Bisson said she had needed to use a food bank for a month following a social security repayment.

"You don't get told the ins and outs; they don't explain it in black and white," she said.

"I got that depressed about it I thought 'I can't be bothered to argue with them.'"

Deputy Elaine Millar, minister for social security, said repayment plans were arranged on a "case-by-case basis" and she was disappointed to hear of such situations.

"My understanding is always that people should be left with enough money to live, even when a repayment plan is taken into account," she said.

"If people are struggling I'd ask them to come back to the department and tell us that."

She said overpayments had arisen for a number of reasons, including administration errors by the department, individuals making errors or forgetting to tell the department about a change in circumstances, and more rarely, fraud.