A PENSIONER who tried to stop the Government giving him too much benefit has been forced to take out a loan to pay it back.

Kenneth Pankhurst, of Anson Way, in Bicester, has been receiving pension credit – extra money which tops up his income – for the past three years.

However, for the past 12 months the 63-year-old has been receiving almost £5 a week more than he is entitled to.

He was supposed to be receiving £7.34 per week, but the Government was handing him £12.32 instead.

Mr Pankhurst, who suffers from ME, diabetes and is recovering from a triple heart bypass operation, phoned the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) at least five times to explain the error.

He described himself as an ‘honest man’ who did not want to pocket taxpayers’ money he was not entitled too.

But the Government department insisted its figures were correct.

Last month the DWP even tried to put the figure up once again to £14.42 a week.

It was only after Mr Pankhurst sent in his bank statements that officers finally admitted the error.

But he then received a demand from a debt collecting agency for £258.64.

A DWP spokesman confirmed Mr Pankhurst had been overpaid and said it had discussed a repayment plan with him which he had refused.

The ex-fireman said he refused because he did not want money being deducted from his disability living allowance to pay for it.

He took out an interest-free loan to pay the money back instead and is now receiving the correct amount of pension credit.

Mr Pankhurst said: “They have not apologised for being wrong. I sent in figures last year and this year, and both times they said to me they were right.

“They said to me they would wipe the debt, but the next thing I know I have a letter from the debt collecting agency.

“I am not in debt. It was quite scary – it got my heart really going and I was in tears. It’s wrong, I can’t afford to pay it back.”

Mr Pankhurst, whose great-grandfather started the Oxford Mail’s sister paper, the Bicester Advertiser, added: “I have had to borrow money to pay them back and I feel sickened by it.

“I should not have to pay it back, I tried to put it right and they are still penalising me. It was their mistake and they should repay me the money.”

A DWP pensions spokesman added: “We always consider recovering money that has been overpaid and in this case discussed a repayment plan to enable the customer to pay back the money through instalments.

“If a customer has been issued with an overpayment and feels the decision is wrong, they do have the right of appeal.”

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