Because I finally got the Tax Credit people to listen to me.

[StaceeJaxx]

We're on the dole atm and have been since DH was made redundant 3 months ago. We have an overpayment with the Tax Credits of just over £1000, which they were taking back at £5 per week when DH was working. Since DH finished work we should be entitled to £110 per week for 2 children. Instead we've been getting £82 per week, which is crippling us, we're struggling to pay bills, food and rent.

Back in August when they first sent us the letter which stated that they would recovering £696 of the overpayment from this years award , I phoned them to query it and they said they'd look at it and contact me in 2 weeks. 2 weeks went by and they decided they were right. So we went to CAB, who spoke to them on the phone and again they said they'd look at it and contact us in 2 weeks. Got a letter 2 weeks later which said again that their decision was right.

I was mightily ticked off at this point, and so I wrote them letter. (Which I redrafted several times because I kept ranting ). I worked out how much they would be taking off us over the year and it worked out at over £900 not £696 like they said. So I also put this in the letter, and I sent photocopies of all my award letters showing my entitlement to JSA, HB, CTC, plus a copy of my bank statement and then sent it recorded delivery.

Today I got a letter from them saying that my weekly award is now going to be £105 a week (yay) and they'll be taking £145 from this year's award towards the overpayment. I'm over the bloody moon! We're now £80 a month better off. So pleased I got angry enough to actually write to them.

[MoonlightandWerewolves]

[hgrin] - nice to hear a happy ending for once!