The number of Universal Credit overpayments caused by official errors in Northern Ireland rose by 33 percent in the 2025/26 financial year, reaching almost 20,000 cases worth approximately £12.8 million, according to figures obtained by Law Centre NI.

Under Universal Credit rules, overpayments resulting from mistakes by the Department for Communities (DfC) are recoverable from claimants, unlike the legacy benefits they replaced. This means households that received money in good faith can face demands for repayment years later.

Claimants can ask for a discretionary waiver, but awareness of this option remains low. Following a campaign by Law Centre NI in 2022, DfC began including information about waivers in overpayment notification letters. Staff guidance was also updated to ensure claimants are told they can request a waiver.

Despite an increase in waivers granted since the campaign, only 0.41 percent of official error overpayments were waived in 2025/26. That equates to just £256,696 out of the £12.8 million identified. The remaining 99.6 percent was recovered from households that did not cause the error.

Law Centre NI is calling for the official publication of transparent data on overpayments, arguing that it would highlight the scale of the problem, improve accountability and help reduce future errors. The centre has published a guide to help claimants and advisers request discretionary waivers.