The Secretary of State needs to restore confidence in the overpayment recovery waiver system by ensuring everyone affected by overpayments are made aware of the existence of waivers and how to seek one, and monitoring decision making to ensure that waivers are applied correctly.
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has the discretion to waive recovery of a benefit overpayment "where recovery is detrimental to the health or welfare of the debtor or a member of their family".
Benefit overpayment recovery information evidences that by monetary value, only 0.006% of Universal Credit Official Error (DWP mistake) overpayments were written off (waivered) by DWP using the guidance contained within the benefit overpayment recovery guide (Chapter 8 – Write-off and waivers).