Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe LONDON, Aug. 22 (UPI) -- The British Department for Work and Pensions said it is setting up payment plans for 10 people who were overpaid a total of nearly $3 million in benefits. The department said an estimated $5.4 billion is overpaid each year due to fraud and errors and the largest 10 debtors for the past year were overpaid a total of $2.8 million, The Sun reported Monday. Advertisement A department spokesman said payment plans are designed to "avoid undue hardship." One of the debtors, who owes $394,800, is paying the department back at a rate of $16.29 per month, a speed that would take 142 years to completely repay the sum, The Sun said. Another of those who owe the department is paying a $238,525 debt back at a rate of $32.90 per week while another is paying $57.58 per week to repay a $430,990 debt. "This is just more evidence that the benefits system is in free fall," said Matthew Elliott of the TaxPayers' Alliance.
