‘Judge ruled in my favour – but DWP still won’t pay’: Northampton dad in £900 benefits row
A Northampton dad says he is still being forced to pay back nearly £900 to the DWP – even though a judge ruled he does not owe the money.
Emerson Best, 53, from Freehold Street, says he’s been "lied to", "ignored", and left out of pocket after battling the Universal Credit system for years.
Despite winning two separate appeals at a tribunal in February 2025, he says the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) continues to deduct money from his family’s income.
Speaking to the Chronicle & Echo, he said: “They need to be brought to the table. These people are wicked. It's not nice what they’re doing. I won my case. The judge said I don’t have to pay – so why am I still paying?”
He first claimed Universal Credit during the pandemic after losing his lorry licence due to Graves' disease, a long-term health condition he's had since 2000.
He said: “I’d rather not use Universal Credit, but I had no choice. I’ve got a family.”
After returning to work, Emerson informed the DWP he no longer needed support. Then came a letter demanding repayment.
“We were wondering how? How did we owe them that amount?” he said. He appealed and won.
But the problems did not stop. He said: “We got two more letters – one for over £1,000, the other £500. I said, no, I’m not paying this. I’ll take you to appeal again. And I won again. Both of them.”
Despite the judge’s ruling, Emerson says the DWP has continued taking payments – even from his wife’s wages.
He said: “I had to stop the payments myself. The judge said I didn’t have to pay. But they just ignored it. They started taking money out of my wife’s wages just like that.”
After pressure from Debt Management, Emerson agreed to set up a direct debit. “I said fine – I’ll pay £2 a month. No more than that. That’s all you’re getting.”
But months later, he is still fighting. He said: “They’re just lying. I called Universal Credit again today – no one’s getting back to me. They said they’d appealed for a statement of reasons from the court. But that’s not true. They missed the deadline. I’ve called the court three times. They haven’t appealed. They’re just making it up.”
The situation, he says, has taken a serious toll on his mental health and family life. He added: “The stress I’m going through – it’s a joke. I’m trying not to let it show, but I’ve got a five-year-old, and a 14-year-old stepdaughter. It’s affecting them too. I’m still fighting for this money. I will not give up on it.”
He has now brought in a solicitor and submitted evidence from the court confirming the tribunal ruled in his favour. He has also spoken to the Chronicle & Echo to raise awareness of what he believes is a broken system.
He said: “When we owe them money, they’re quick to take it. But when they owe us? Silence.”
In response, a DWP spokesperson said: “We take the outcomes of appeals and tribunals very seriously. We continue to work to resolve Mr Best’s dispute as soon as possible.
“We support millions of people through our welfare system every year, and it is a priority people receive a supportive service and the benefits they are entitled to as quickly as possible.”
The DWP added that it cannot comment further on individual cases without the claimant’s consent.
The Government says it has set out reforms to overhaul the welfare system “so that it’s fairer on the taxpayer, unlocks work for sick and disabled people who can get into employment and provides support for those who can’t,” through its Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper.