Has anybody had any experience of a tribunal ?
My husband lost his job last march 2010. My circumstances changed and I applied for tax credits in May to be told that some one was already claiming for my eldest DD1.
I sent back the form did not take it seriously enough (was in disbelief )and was told that the other person was keeping them even after I appealed as their income was lower than mine.
So I am appealing that decison made in July to a tribunal still not got a date.
So I re - applied and recieved tax credits for my eldest daughter in August. I was in receipt of her child benefit but have had a letter about that too and sent info back.
I got a letter saying that DD1 was included in two CTC awards so sent the school, doctor and college letters off.
I was awarded the tax credits in sept but the other person appealled and on the 1st of april 2011 was informed that they had up held the appeal and given my tax credits to the other person (my mum) as she is on a lower income and despite the evidence when they have two conflicting claims they give it the person on a lower income :( .
I think my mum has got letters from her neighbours to say my dd1 lives with her because the bloke on the phone said so sort of candidly when I asked what other evidence I could supply to prove that my daughter lives with me.
My mum paid for dd1 's provisional licence behind my back practically forced my dd1 to sign it and got her cleaner of less than two months to sign the pics as she had no one else as everyone else knew what she was trying to do.
She also ambushed my DD1 when she went to the halifax to open a bank account foR her EMA and managed to get dd1 to put it in her address by threatening her with her dad !!!!! My mum was shouting at her in the bank and my dd1 said she was embarrassed and assumed she could change it back without a problem.
My dd1 and I went back the next day but even with doctors and school letters and her birth certificate they would not let her change it to her home address without the passport. So we tried digital on line banking but my mum had scribbled out my dd1 phone number so no number was registered to verify her identity. It has now been changed using DD! 's provisional but has took time and she is waiting for her first statement to come home.
My mum used the bank account details to try and claim EMA for dd1 at her address but I managed to redirect it almost straight away.
( me and DD! 's dad do not even speak but if my mum tells him dd1 has been rude or naughty ? he grounds her or takes her phone off her ).
The driving licence my daughter changed it to her home address but had to wait to get this to change her bank details because my mum has took the passport off her and sent off as part of her appeal to get the tax credits.
My dd1 is now 17 and chooses to stay with my mum two nights a week my mum is classed as disabled gets DLA and a car an I have never minded as my dd1 has given her added security, but this has got out of hand .
It is a complicated matter and the man at the appeal office said I could appeal and it would go to a tribunal in six to nine months. I have already spent the £1700 )aug to April I recieved (about 80 a week mostly on food and bills and general day to day running famiy home..... it has kept my family from going under
Bought DD1 her clothes and boots her christmas presents her shoes paid for the petrol to pick her up from college friends and numerous nights out and stuff when she wants to go town and I make sure she is safe.
I have 30 days again to appeal and take it to a tribunal.
Just what do I have to do at a tribunal that I have not done ? The passport was reported stolen on the 7th of Jan but the appeal by my mum had already been submitted. My daughter has never recieved a bank statement at my mums address as my mum keeps them locked up in her bedroom with the passport that she has told people that she has now got back fromthe CTC.
My mum kept my DD1 's bank card from her for almost eight weeks as it had her account details on it and she knew dd1 would change the address but kept it long enough to send a copy to the tax credits.
I have posted about this before.
any advice would be appreciated apartfrom getting my mum committed (sorry it is a long post)