To expect to be able to get Tax Credits

[Ryoko]

My son was born 3 and a half months ago and I still don't have Tax Credits, it's all a scam.

Oh every parent is entitled to it, it should be easy to get, you should just phone up and get a claim pack sent or be able to apply for one online, well I've phoned em 18 times, they don't even put you on hold like any sensible system it's just sod off and try again later, the website is useless whats the point in spending all that taxpayers money on a web site that just tells you to fuck off and phone that damn number?.

Laughably the two times they did answer the damn phone they told us to sod off because they where too busy dealing with people wanted to re-new them and couldn't deal with new claims at the moment.

Is this how the sodding Tories are saving money? tell people you can still get Tax Credits and then sack all but one of the staff to make damn sure no one can apply.

I\ eventually got through and got a very helpful chap. However I must warn you, they are saying they overpaid us!!!! so thats a risk to consider too....get it , then they change criteria and say that actually, you dont!!!

also they will backdate it, so persevere

Found a useful page on how to complain and who to on the HM Revenue and Customs site. anyone tried this one?

I have had similar trouble getting through to them recently.

I have been trying to phone them to change address & to update some other details, but I am getting the same message (basically, fuck off!).

Well finally got a cow on the phone (thanks ladies) we are now waiting for a claim pack god knows when that will show up, if it shows up.

Woman was a right bitch moaning that you have to be exact about how much you earn a year, well I'm sorry but I can only tell them what I earned on my last Tax Return, I'm on Maternity Leave (Duh obviously) and I don't even know if I'm going to go back to work because I don't know if they will accept me working part-time, can't be exact anyway not everyone has set working time, I'm on a Zero hour contract, they only have to give me a weeks notice of zero down time, stupid rude bitch.

It took me about 10 goes to get through to the holding pattern and then waited 40 minutes to speak to a real person!! It transpired that my child benefit for DS1 hasn't been paid to me all year - said they sent me a form - no way! They also said they will backdate my money - won't be holding my breath for that to arrive.

I haven't down my form yet - maybe I won't bother. Especially as they are using last years figures, when we were both working full time!!

They screwed my mum over, and she was paying them back years after my brother had finished school!!

Can't miss what I haven't got. I'll just go and get a cash in hand job

The thing that annoys me is there are easy ways to make the phonelines less busy - let me request a claim pack over the internet, instead of me having to call and sit on hold for 30 minutes.

Or include a section in the claim form that lets you put this year's income in, instead of making me fill out a form with last year's income, wait to get an assessment that I know is wrong, and then sit on hold AGAIN for 30 minutes to give this year's income amounts....and breathe!!

Why don't they know your income? it's the government, they tax you on it, they should have access to the Inland Revenues computers to look you up.

See that toff could instantly save money right there, or maybe not, because that would only save money by reducing workload so they can reduce staff, I get the feeling they probably only have 3 staff as it is.

I used the alternate number which others have put above & I got through straight away.

Thanks for posting the number

aynbu
I gave up and wrote tp them
annoys me as they will then say thay have overpaid us

YABU to blame the coalition government unless you honestly believe they fired people on the spot 3.5 months ago.

Oh and YABVU to call this woman a bitch and a cow when someone was kind enough to give you a direct line!

i used the overseas number (01355359007) on hold for about 5-10 mins, sorted out my claim, the man on the other end was actually really nice! but he did moan at me a bit for using that number as it would be "a nightmare" trying to use the 0845 number from overseas hahahaha like it isnt a nightmare trying on that number for 2 days from my living room!

also as my claim had been stopped because i didnt renew, (well i did, they just didnt get my letter) the letter they sent said i owed them about 1500 in overpayments, but this is only if i didnt renew, once you get the claim back on the debt is ignored. so if you get a letter saying your tax credits have been stopped and you owe this much in overpayments i should worry too much as long as you get your claim back on :)

I would just like to say that I have only ever had positive experiences with the Tax Credit number. I've always called an 0845 number and maybe been on hold for 5-10 minutes and always dealt with very helpful staff. We've never been over or underpaid, our renewal pack always arrives in May, I always call to update and renew in case post is lost and we usually have new info on our new payments within a fortnight or so.

Guess we're just lucky ones but there must be thousands of people claiming so there are bound to be mistakes along the line somewhere.

I once heard that on average 9/10 people are eligible to claim, even sometimes with no children.