Success in Discretionary Waivers

Discretionary waiver is a mechanism, whereby in exceptional circumstances, DfC can exercise its discretion to ‘waive’ recovery of all or part of an overpaid benefit. A claimant can request a waiver of an overpaid benefit or a benefit advance in certain circumstances. As a direct result of Law Centre policy advocacy, all overpayment notifications in NI advise recipients of the option to seek a waiver and DfC guidance was changed to explicitly outline that the reason for overpayment including official error is a relevant factor to consider of when to waive. Following the Law Centre’s success in Discretionary Waivers, it has put together this practitioner-led masterclass to help advisers better understand how to use the waiver to help their clients.