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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that it is ridiculous to have to waste 3 days of my life for tax credits!!!

44 replies

afromom · 31/07/2013 20:22

I have made literally 100 calls over the last 3 days to the tax credits helpline to make my renewal for tax credits! I get a very measly amount, hardly worth it really!
Each time I call I am on the phone for 6 minutes going through numerous "press 1 for this" , "press 2 for that" only to be told that "we are sorry but we can not take your call right now, please try later!"
I realise that there has been a long time to do this, but I started a new job this month, following a month of being redundant and I only received the paperwork and figures I needed for the claim on Friday.
AIBU to think that they should have some sort of waiting/queuing system rather than just hanging up!

OP posts:
isitsnowingyet · 31/07/2013 21:02

We gave up on this years ago, as they overpaid, despite all the correct info being carefully documented each time, and we ended up owing literally hundreds of pounds to them Now it's all 'evened out' and there is no way I would bother making a claim now. Hopeless system - best not to bother if that is possible.

ihearsounds · 31/07/2013 21:08

Forgot if they ask how you got the number, act surprised. You rang the normal number and pushed the relevant numbers.

stubbornstains · 31/07/2013 21:10

Me: "So, my term time childcare costs are £75 per week, and my holiday childcare costs are £46 p/w...."

Tax credits man: "OK, that averages out at £83 per week then".

Me: "No it doesn't"

TCM: "Yes it does! The computer says it does, so it must be right!"

It only took 20 minutes of arguing to get him to concede and stop them overpaying me Hmm

eccentrica · 31/07/2013 21:12

isitsnowing I've just learnt that the hard way. The first couple of years of claiming it really helped us out at a lean time, but I wish I had never bothered. I make a big effort to not get into debt and to live within my means, but if you have a bit more you spend a bit more.

Don't suppose they ever make a mistake in actually calculating the overpayment? I didn't even bother asking as I find their calculations impossibly obscure.

morethanpotatoprints · 31/07/2013 21:12

My dh is a sb owner and I always get a snotty letter or they are snotty when I call with the estimated figures. Its stupid to have to do this now when the final figure isn't due until January, I would leave it but they stopped our payments last year.
I don't know what colour envelope it came in either, and need to contact as ds2 has just left ft education so we lose a whole heap, and its hell if you ever get an over payment.

Wereonourway · 31/07/2013 21:18

dirtyface I do. but am on annual leave at the minute

Original poster
afromom · 31/07/2013 21:22

Ihearsounds you are my hero! I got through!!! ????

OP posts:
Original poster
afromom · 31/07/2013 21:23

Oh no eccentrica that's not good. That's what I'm a bit afraid of given all of my employment changes over the past 2 months Hmm

OP posts:
Original poster
afromom · 31/07/2013 21:25

Stubborn stains that made me lol. Was it a "computer says no!" Moment! There's no hope!

OP posts:
prettypleasewithsugarontop · 31/07/2013 21:40

Hate them Angry £529 overpayment from April til June Hmm they are recovering it from next years award. We only get CTC since renewal

Kat101 · 31/07/2013 22:37

Insane. Our CTC dropped last sept when our child care costs dropped (DS2 went to school). But they said we'd get regularly overpaid up until march , as the big drop might mean hardship. Then last month they sent an invoice demanding we repay the entire amount overpaid.

Surely it would be less hardship to not overpay in the first place? How on earth can overpaying us every month and then sending a huge demand for it back, be avoiding hardship?

Original poster
afromom · 31/07/2013 23:17

It's crazy isn't it. I don't understand how they have got the whole system so wrong! I don't know anyone who hasn't had some problem or other with it.
It is meant to be there to help people, but half the time people are more likely to end up in debt rather than better off! Where is the logic in that?

OP posts:
gallicgirl · 31/07/2013 23:30

We've claimed recently while dp was unemployed. Got nil entitlement cos based on last year's salary so then had to call and advise them of change of circs. In all fairness the guy advised us not to take the money as we will have to pay it back at review time because they ignore £2500 of any change in income. We need the help now though but for some reason they haven't given us all of the award. Don't understand why you can't claim based on actual income at that point in time.
Stupid system and it's not fit for purpose.

Wbdn28 · 01/08/2013 03:06

YANBU. They make it as hard as possible to claim money from them. A long, drawn-out, obscure process, not answering calls etc. Then if the situation is reversed and you owe the taxman some money, they soon get in touch!!

Runningchick123 · 01/08/2013 07:54

Am I being a bit thick because I thought the payments were calculated on the previous tax years income and therefore I can't understand why people are waiting on income for the current tax year.
Simplest way to do the renewal is to send off the renewal form by post as soon as you have both the renewal form and the relevant p60's.
It's not really surprising that people have trouble getting through on the phone when they leave it to the last few days before the deadline; everybody else who has been a bit lax will also be desparately trying to get through too. When I have had to make changes mid year I have never had to wait more than a few minutes to get through, so I presume the problems are due to the deadline rush.
I have to add though that I find them to be rubbish on the phone and have had occasions where they have input totally different info than I have given them and then had to ring back and tell them the correct info again. Which is why for simple renewal purposes its much easier to do it by post.

MadeOfStarDust · 01/08/2013 08:35

Write to them and you have a paper trail to go back to when they stuff things up - again

IShallWearMidnight · 01/08/2013 09:31

we're currently repaying an overpayment of £2000 while they take 16 weeks to confirm that for that year there was actually an underpayment of £3000. And the two departments can't talk to each other apparently.

Runningchick - if you're SE or have variable income, your income for the previous tax year isn't the most useful information to be giving tax credits. DHs last "confirmed with HMRC" income is for 2011-12, which is totally irrelevant to his current 13-14 income, which he won't file a return for till January 2015. Although he will do it early as we need to allow Student Finance to get their calculations wrong and fail to pay DD Sad.

Runningchick123 · 01/08/2013 09:37

ishallwearmidnight I do get that for some people their nome varies a lot from year to year and it needs to be kept up to date to prevent under/overpayments. but surely the best thing to do is to send off the renewal as soon as the renewal pack arrives and then give the estimated figures for the current years at a latr date as soon as you have them, hence not stressing about the 31st July deadline and still having this years estimate up to date.
Maybe I'm just being a bit thick Confused

Meglet · 01/08/2013 09:39

Their telephone system is a disgrace. No option to hold Angry. I've wasted so much time in the past, just dialling and hitting re-dial constantly.

I've not had a problem with the staff or my actual TC's though.

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