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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Tax credits have just put nearly 10k in my bank

456 replies

TheWildOnesNeverDie · 03/12/2019 00:18

Just checked my bank, as I do most days at 12am incase payments have Gone in from my free lance job.
I don’t earn very much so I like to keep an eye.

I have just checked and nearly had a heart attack to see there was 8k in there. Last time I checked I had £113

I quickly scrolled to see where it had come from and it says bank giro - which is usually tax credits/ child benefit, but I get paid on a Friday.
And usually only £63 per week.

I have one child, have not changed circumstances all year. Haven’t contacted them for anything recently either.

WHAT DO I DO?

OP posts:
asparagusnextleft5 · 03/12/2019 07:27

When my tax credit or child benefit payments go in to my bank, they are clearly marked as such - it literally says on my account "Child Tax Credit" and "0123456789-CHB" (obviously with my own reference number, I made that one up!)
Yes, clicking on to them does specify they were paid by Bank Giro, but that's not what appears on the main list.
Is there nothing that gives you a clue where the payment came from?

LagunaBubbles · 03/12/2019 07:31

sall74

Some people really can't help themselves can they?

Hopefloatsaway · 03/12/2019 07:39

It’s not a petty dig. It’s stating a fact.

Waxonwaxoff0 · 03/12/2019 07:40

Oh fuck off @sall74.

Hope you can keep it OP and it's a rebate or something!

Mrsemcgregor · 03/12/2019 07:43

Sal if you’re bitter/envious I would highly recommend getting a minimum wage job and using TC/UC to top up so you can afford frivolities such as rent and food. Scrape by on maybe an extra £200 a month. It’s bloody fantastic. And if you ever find yourself with a bit of legitimate spare cash make sure you don’t spend it on anything nice. Send it in an envelope to the DWP immediately. Then continue to feel sad in penance.

FoamingAtTheUterus · 03/12/2019 07:44

Oh I hope you get to keep it.......... something similar happened to us one year. Not 8 grand but a few days before Christmas, think it was around 1000. We were really struggling that year and living off bean chilli and rice. Kids were happy as they live my bean chilli..........but the reality is it costs about a quid to make. We had a £1 reduced chicken in the freezer planned for Christmas dinner.

Dp had been laid off a few months before and we were trying to stretch basic benefits to cover mortgage repayments so money was extremely scarce when a back payment from Tax credits dropped in. We didn't spend it on much, think I bought a box of quality street and a few bits and pieces. The rest was put away to take the stress of the monthly mortgage payment away for a while. One of our poorest Christmases but also one of our best in a lot of ways.

plumebaby · 03/12/2019 07:46

If somebody calls you today OP and says they’ve made an error and can they have your bank details to sort it out say no and hang up. Only do this by going into your actual bank and speaking to a person.

TheMobileSiteMadeMeSignup · 03/12/2019 07:46

Following cos I hope it is yours to keep, OP. Fingers crossed!

FoamingAtTheUterus · 03/12/2019 07:47

Oh and for those sniping at the OP if this money is hers it will be because her tax credit payments won't have been correct for years and.shes been on the bones of her arse for years. Especially with only having one child the tax credit payments won't be that high.

Bunnybigears · 03/12/2019 07:47

Hopefully you get to keep it I agree to trying to find out from the bank before you call Tax Credits though.

Turt · 03/12/2019 07:49

My fingers are crossed too!

ARoomWithoutADoor · 03/12/2019 07:50

Tax credits are a nightmare.
They are usually calculated incorrectly despite correct info provided.

I am waiting to hear if I will be fined - up to 3K- because they have just realised i was paid too much re 1 childs DLA (affects CTC) for 6m. BOTH my kids get DLA and CTC is awarded for both together so i had no way of knowing. I didnt claim extra CTC when they were awarded DLA either, it is done automatically.

They can recoup money paid incorrectly for 5 years I believe, whereas you have 3m to 'backdate' anything you realise you qualify for?

DONT spend it yet...

Rosepetals30 · 03/12/2019 07:51

Not going to lie but this made me check my bank account

No money but turns out I nearly fell into my overdraft and saved myself there Grin

Insideimsprinting · 03/12/2019 07:54

Try not to get to cocky with it op, if there is a mistake they'll want it back in a flash, just be cautious. Even if they tell you know its genuine I would wait until the tax year has ended just in case they don't pick up on the error until then.

nocluewhattodoo · 03/12/2019 07:54

Well I hope it's good news for you OP

ALemonyPea · 03/12/2019 07:59

Echoing the few who have said opening a DWP gateway account. You can check if it's yours (probably while on hold)

Gatehouse77 · 03/12/2019 07:59

My advice to you is that any contact you make with HMRC make a note of the following

  1. Name of person you're talking to
  2. which call centre they're from
  3. time and date of phonecall
  4. summary of what was discussed - answers to specific questions.

I know of someone who had a similar thing happen - and just after a random HMRC check 🙄 - it took 2 years for it to be resolved and ridiculous amounts of paper.

DartmoorDoughnut · 03/12/2019 07:59

Really hope it’s not an error OP Flowers

flouncyfanny · 03/12/2019 08:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Likethebattle · 03/12/2019 08:12

I hope it’s not a mistake. We had just moved once and money was tight and then a cheque came through from HMRC for £750 as I had been overtaxed. They still had a benefit in kind lodged on my account that I no longer had, it had come to light because my tax was underpaid by £35 for one year. They did a reconciliation and realised I had overpaid in general.

AutumnCrow · 03/12/2019 08:15

@Gatehouse77 My life would be a lot simpler if family members would follow this good advice!

I despair at the amount of times they can recount a tedious convoluted story about a fractious 20 minute phone call and it then emerges they don't even know who they were talking to. And expect me to help.

mummymayhem18 · 03/12/2019 08:16

Let us know how you get on. Hopefully it's a back payment. ☺️🤞

CaptainMyCaptain · 03/12/2019 08:18

Don't spend it. I know someone who has to pay back £20,000 that was over paid over a period of time. They did nothing wrong and had given the correct information.

Original poster
TheWildOnesNeverDie · 03/12/2019 08:24

Excellent advice @Gatehouse77 Thankyou

I am going to ring them when I get back from the school run, absolutely no intention of spending it (although have been daydreaming about clearing all our little debts, plus my husband is self employed and has just injured his back - we are in for a lean christmas! So if we DO get to keep it, we won’t be jetting off anywhere, just paying our bills. Boring, I know.)

It says child and work tax credit on my bank statement, I’ll also check my online tax credits - I didn’t last night because it was 12am as I was in bed! (And the passwords for it are written down somewhere)

And for all of you wishing well and hoping I get to keep it - Thankyou! (ME TOO!) 😅

OP posts:
CleverQuacks · 03/12/2019 08:28

I have just received a extra tax credits payment because they made an error last year. Not 8k! But I wasn’t expecting it. The paperwork for it arrived a few days later. So it could be right.

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