To not want the 3rd degree just get a form for Tax Credits!!!

[Bouncingturtle]

DH reminded me to ring the helpline to get a claim pack for child tax credits.
I got an absolute muppet on the phone. First she asks me loads of questions so she can give me an estimate of the credit she thinks we will get - since I don't know how much DH and I earned last year I have to guess and she then gives me a completely pointless estimate. Then a right bloody palaver with my address (OK so in a new build, but FGS, I moved in nearly 2 years ago!!), had to spell the address to her 4 times (I kid you not!). In the meantime ds is screaming, so I told her I'll have to call back - she was stil faffing on about the fact my address doesn't exist. Stuck ds on boob, rang back. Non-muppet answers. She asked me what were my grounds for claiming, I answered, she took my address (just the once) and then said pack will be out to you in 7-14 days, have a nice day.
So why did the first operator asking me loads of bloody questions when the 2nd one found out what she needed to know with just one?

AAAAAAAAGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

OK feel better after that rant, and yes, IABU, they are just doing their jobs!

Right I'm off to Asda to get some tea bags...

Bouncingturtle - maybe you just got unlucky and got a bit of a muppet re the spelling etc.

However I have to say that I think they are generally pretty good. I eventually got round to ringing them in Dec 06 having left my ex h earlier that year. I agree the initial call can take a while and seems like a huge amount of questions, but to their credit (no pun intended) within a matter of a few days they had sent me all the relevant paperwork, once I completed and returned this virtually by return of post I got my statement telling me exactly what I was entitled to, the money was in the bank and they had back dated it six months to when I left ex h. So all in all I was pretty impressed.

Simimarly I rang them in Dec 07 to advise them that I was now working over 16.5 hours a week and should I be entitled to working tax credit? Again really speedy service and the money was in my account within days.

I think the initial setup does take a bit of time but really well worth it in my opinion.

Nope, they pee me off. Not just the staff on the phones, but the whole attitude. Stroppy letters saying "you haven't replied to us yet, you will be in trouble...." then pointing out the deadline is about 4 weeks away...so why a stroppy letter, why not a gentle reminder letter?