To be absolutely BAFFLED by the tax credits people?

[gemmiegoatlegs]

Today dh rang me to tell me five hefty cheques had dropped through our door from the taxcredits. With no explanation. I phoned them up and apparently this is due to an overpayment that we did not dispute from 2003. This overpayment was made as I had claimed IS for , like, two weeks of that tax year and had not deckared it. A bit steep we thought at the time, but fair enough, that's how it workks. I was an awful lot more naive about money at the time and it didn't occur to me to dispute it. Bear in mind this was before all the hoohar in the news.

So for the last five years we have been paying this overpayment back from our TC award and thought nothing more unytil today, completely unprompted this money came in the post.

I am utterly baffled as to why they refunded the overpayment when we had not even challenged it, although, don't get me wrong, we could use the money.

Now I am slightly wary about spending the money in case they decide we should pay it back again.

And the woman on the phone was all congratulatory as if I had won something, not at all apologetic that we had been messed about for a FULL FIVE YEARS and some of those times have been pretty hard. We could have done with a few quid.

Anyway, rant ove. As you were ladies.

TBH I would save as much of it as you can afford to in an instant access ISA in case you get any comeback.as they HONESTLY don't know their arse from elbow.I would also take full name and date/time of any phone calls you have with them.Anything you send to them,send by recorded delivery etc.(Bitter experience emoticon)

There is no sense to the tax credits system.But your post has given me hope.We were overpaid because they made a mistake & wouldn't believe me when I tried to correct it.Now we owe them over 2k & they are taking it back out of our £545 per year.I calculate that dd1 will be 8 before we see another penny from them.

We could really use the money now,as I've lost a days work a week since then-I'll keep everything crossed.

Can you put the money in savings or something,jus in case.Or get them to put it in writing that you are entitled to it?

All calls are now recorded but do make a note of the time and date you called, but feel free to spend it, it's yours and if they've cocked up gain it's their problem.

Don't spend all of it as they do mess about a lot. You could phone them up and go through your income/childcare outgoings for the five years to make sure they have the right information. If they have then I'd feel more confident it's yours for sure.

I'm sure they have all the right information for the last 5 years, but I might just stick it in my savings at least until we get written notice as you suggest.

I think they are quite mad

It says on the forms you recieve that if you are overpaid you can make a claim not to pay any money back if you believe it is thier fault that you were overpaid.

Not suggesting you do this but I would spend it. If they ask for it back tell them after you recieved the money you rang to double check it was def right (record date/time who you spoke to etc) and was assured it was so you spent it. Sureley if you had rang to check and they said it was right then if they have made a mistake it would be thier fault?

Only my opinion.