Tax credits have just put nearly 10k in my bank

[TheWildOnesNeverDie]

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?

I hope its good news OP.

Hope it does turn out to be yours but we had a nightmare with CTC, they kept changing the amount and then when they wrote to us with an amendment the figures for what they said we had been paid didn't match what we had actually been paid. We went back and forth for years with them threatening us and us sending them bank statements to prove what we had actually received. Eventually they just stopped writing but they never admitted they were wrong.
Good Lucj

I'm another one crossing fingers it's money meant for you. I had been underpaid a disability premium for my disabled son when he was little. I had no idea what benefits I was entitled to. I got a cheque in the post for £7K & nearly fainted. I told a friend with child on DLA to check hers - she got £10K. I was just very lucky someone at DWP noticed.

And for @sall74 at al - I had been living on the minimum benefits as a carer for a disabled child for years. It's not money for free! Fucking miserable twats.

Oh I hope it's yours op.
I'm having opposite problem atm.
Tried to refund payment onto my card last night but it hasn't shown up on my bank this morning leaving me overdrawn
Tax credits once put £3000 in my bank which was actually mine and got a letter few days later to confirm it.

I have everything crossed you get to keep it!

Hope its yours

Their helpline or online chat service is good, ask them and check it out.

You can also access this Gov Gateway service which shows you info and payments etc

I have checked gov gateway- and two of the payments seem correct, however the larger sum ISNT on there.

I’m officially terrified that it IS an overpayment and getting too anxious to call and have my dreams crushed

I haven’t called yet as I know they are busiest at 9am. Also secretly Hoping a letter will arrive in a moment saying it’s all mine 🤩

Fingers and toes crossed OP!

It's so annoying when payment comes in and it just says "Bank giro" and no easy way of finding out what the hell is going on!

I'm still waiting for the 3 months backdated child benefit I'm owed from 3 years ago, about 40 quid & I really, really could do with it right now!

Also hoping this is a HUGE back payment!
Update us when you've called OP!

Be careful op I knew a lady who had 50K transferred to her from tax credits they stated it was hers and they couldn't take it back, a few years later they demanded it back said it was a mistake and she had to pay it back every penny even though she had proof she offered it back. They can be difficult

I've got my fingers and toes crossed for you

@Straycatstrut ooo I hope they give it to you, and preferably in a lump sum!

I really hope it's good news for you.
They have messed up with mine before, but never that large an amount.
Fingers crossed you get to keep it!

Really hope it's not a mistake 🙏🏽🙏🏽

It says child and work tax credit on my bank statement, I’ll also check my online tax credits
Good idea.
I don't know if it's still possible or if they have closed the loophole but there used to be a nasty 'unexpected receipt' scam.
Sender would send you money (transfer 1). You would get a request to reimburse so, being a good person, you would send it back (transfer 2). They would then manage to cancel transfer 1, so you were sending back money that was no longer there. The scam account was closed or overseas and so there was no way of getting transfer 2 cancelled.
Double check (from a separate source) details of sort code and account number before sending it 'back' where it came from!

My fingers are crossed for you OP

Fingers crossed for you. Can you see previous years in TC account ? Presume it's a few years worth from the past ?

Keeping fingers crossed

The tax credit helpline has been open for 2 hours now, come on OP....

Glad I’m not the only one who checked their bank. Crushing disappointment .

I do hope it’s yours OP. Fingers crossed for you!

I think it would be really naive to spend this, just read the stories above, if it's not yours they could ask for it back at any time.

Surely you would notice if you were 8k short, even over a long period?!

It's mine. They sent it you by mistake, just transfer it all to me.

Hope you're on the phone to them now (I've just had to phone income support, unfortunately not about mysterious large sums of money appearing in my account, and was on hold for ages before it was answered)

Good luck!

Just placemarking with my fingers crossed. (my sister got £4k by mistake from TC years ago she told them straight away but it took them 3 years to ask for it back!)