any experts on child tax credit out there?

[driedapricots]

it's a long story but would be supremely appreciative if anyone had any idea how they are worked out ... we are currently paying back an 'overpayment' and have now been hit with another despite not recieiving any credits for almost 2years??!! the people on the phone are like robots and i just can't get my head around the notices they send out..help!

That doesn't sound right. Have you tried going to the CAB? Take the letters with you. They should be able to work out what has happened.

I know if you've been underpaid (even if their fault) you can only claim back for 3 months afterwards, but if you've been overpaid (again even if their fault) they don't seem to have a deadline on it.

there are various factors that go into it - lone parent / couple, how many children, income, childcare costs, disability element, etc.

www.entitledto is good for calculations.

presumably you have been receiving an entitlement for the last two years, but it has been going directly to pay off your previous overpayment, and they are now saying that what you have(n't) been receiving has been overpaid?

If you can't work it out yourself then it maybe worth talking to CAB?

no, i have been paying off the 'original' overpayment of over £1k and not receving a penny from them. now they want more?? we must be the only family paying into the benefit system ..it appears any payment we had for the short time my dh was redundant have been deemed void since he actually got himself out of the hole so we therefore have to now pay it back and they have this annoying thing where everything is worked out on the previous year's income- wish i'd never bothered claiming now. i will go to CAB when they answer the phone ggrrr!! this is one of the problems i keep putting to the bottom of the intray as cant face dealing with it!