Because I am specularly shit at life admin, I failed to notice that I hadn't received my tax credit renewal pack. I've been getting tax credits for more than 10 years so there's no excuse for not knowing.
Today, I looked in my bank account and wondered why I hadn't received payment. I thought the system was down - but after a quick search, I realised that it was because I hadn't renewed.
They say they sent the pack out but no reminders via text, email or letter (which they normally send), and I didn't get the original pack. No excuses, I should have noticed it hadn't arrived. But I didn't. For context, last year it renewed automatically so if I had thought about it (which I didn't) I probably would have assumed they were doing the same again.
Spoke to HMRC chap on the phone this afternoon and he sorted out my renewal, and reinstated my tax credits. Huge relief all round.
He told me that it could take up to 21 days to reinstate the claim and pay me. Gulp. I work self-employed around two disabled kids and don't earn a huge amount so that's a long time to be without a large chunk of my income - but OK, I'll figure something out make it through.
But here's the kicker - although the tax credit claim is being renewed to follow on with no break, the payments I should get between now and when it's reinstated will be spread out over the year......
So, let's say I was getting £200 a week - if it takes 21 days to reinstate the claim, that's £600 I would have been normally receiving. They agree they owe me the money for that period, but rather than paying it as a lump sum to bring payments up to date, they now spread it out over the rest of the year. That works out as an extra £11 per week. So during the period that I would normally have received £600 , they will pay me £33.
A few years back they screwed up my tax credits claim (I hadn't forgotten or anything then - they lost the renewal even though I had phoned it in). They reinstated the claim and paid me the outstanding benefit as a lump sum.
If I wasn't already on a low income, I wouldn't be on a tax credits claim so suddenly being £600 down and getting £33 instead, and £11 extra per week for the next year to make up this underpayment - I just don't know how I'm going to manage.
Absolutely gutted. Don't think I could be kicking myself any harder for not realising the pack hadn't arrived. Just wondering - has anyone else here had their tax credit claim reinstated, and did it take the full 21 days??