My mother has been overpaid her civil service pension and ordered to repay it

A 66-year-old woman in the UK has been informed that she must repay £40,000 due to an overpayment of her civil service pension. After accounting for taxes already paid, her outstanding balance is reduced to £32,000.

As a result of this overpayment, her monthly pension has been significantly cut, dropping her annual income from £19,700 to £12,000. Initially, she was instructed to repay £496 each month for five years, but this amount has since been lowered to £100 per month. To secure the repayment, a charge has been placed on her home. She has been advised that the debt will be fully repaid by the time she turns 93.

The situation raises concerns about the financial impact on pensioners and the potential for legal action if repayments are not made.

Source: www.theguardian.com – https://www.theguardian.com/money/2026/apr/07/my-mother-has-been-overpaid-her-civil-service-pension-and-ordered-to-repay-it