To be infuriated with tax credits

[Coulddowithanap]

So a few years ago I started my new part time job, not earning a lot, around £350 per month. Phoned tax credits to let them know and a few weeks later tax credits dropped as I expected. Few years down the line and they are telling me I own them £1000 from the period where I started my job and also another £1000 from last period as my husband did some overtime at work so final figures were a couple of thousand higher than expected.
They said I didn't tell them about my job and have no record of my phone call and they said I can't even appeal it as it's too late for the first period. I can appeal the second one but there isn't any point as we do actually owe them as my husband did the extra work.

Really don't know how we can afford to pay the 2k at the moment.

There are so many times they haven't changed things when I have phoned them up. It's rather frustrating.

They must give you 2 years to pay the overpayment back. . .
Longer if you are prepared to disclose expenditure. .

Google will confirm - don't let them bully you to repay more than you can manage.

Yea don't panic I am paying mine back over 3yr at 30 a month. My salary goes up and down so it is a real pain for me and this is the second time I've had to do it. but if your salary goes down and you become entitled to tc again they just stop the repayments

I'm on a payment plan with them repaying £5 per week from around 3 years ago when my ex and I split.

Unless the drop or rise in income is significant (I have in my head the idea that it's either £2k or £5k), they don't adjust the tax credits in the year that they are being paid. The adjustment is made by reducing the payments in the subsequent year.

All tax credits are provisional at the time of payment, based on predicted income. This is why it's really important to check the figures on the review statement are correct, and let them know straight away if they're not.

One of the (very few) good things about Universal Credit is that it will put a stop to this nonsense for people on PAYE, as it is adjusted monthly when income varies.

That's reassuring that we won't have to pay it back in one go. Thank you.