What is the safest way to pay back Tax Credits (and have evidence I have)

[freakinstressed]

Am living in the middle of some Tax Credit Hell atm.

We know we have been overpaid and have been paying back for the last 2 years through receiving no tax credits. However, we are no longer entitled to TC so need to pay them back.

We have had nothing but hell from these people. In 9 years of dealing with them NOTHING and I mean NOTHING has gone right. They loose correspondence, dont respond, dont reply, claim there is no record of phone convos etc. Tell us one thing then another Department says something else. No one seems to communicate with each other and what is a fairly straightforward issue has become a stressful nightmare.

So anyway - the the above in mind (9 years of it) I have lost all faith in anything ever going right.

Despite the fact we have been intouch with them recently (lots) we have received a letter threatening Bailiffs and court action. I have had enough. We have gone from 1 request for the outstanding money to the threat of Bailiffs because departments are not talking to each other. We have had no chaser letters or final demands!!

My parents have kindly offered to stump up the rather large lump sum so we can just pay off the TC people the money we owe. I have become so ill with this all that I feel this is the best course of action and then we will pay my parents back monthly. I don't trust the TCO to set up a workable payment plan with no issues anymore. I just dont.

So I want to know how best to pay them back. I am terrified that we will pay the money but they will claim to not get it, it will get lost in their chaotic shite system, I wont be able to proove it was actually paid TO THEM etc etc.

What is the most fool proof way to pay them a lump sum?? As there is now the threat of Bailiffs (which they reckon since my complaint call yesterday they have put them on hold for now, but I dont believe them because whatever they tell me ends up being wrong).

So I want to be able to proove immeadiately after I have made the payment that I have, as I am having nightmares about Bailiffs stalking my house etc.

I was thinking of going to my local bank branch with the TCO account details and asking to move £X from my account into theirs. If I do this will the bank give me something to walk out the door with proove I have done this and so there is proper come back if the money goes awry??? How will the TCO know its to be offset against my balance though????

I want to avoid Direct Debit as I just no longer trust these people, they really have done nothing but screw up everything we have ever done with them since 2003.

Help please someone, am so stressed.

If you're happy you owe them the money, send them a cheque recorded, signed for delivery with a covering letter detailing your account or National Insurance references. In the letter you request a receipt for the money and confirmation that this settles your account in full and that there will be no further action. Keep a copy. The signed for letter is your proof that the money has been received. The cheque being cashed is your proof of payment.

Alternatively, have you got a solicitor? If you're not happy that you owe them the money, if you think it could go wrong and if you want them to sit up and take notice it may be worth having some big guns on your side. There is a Tax Credits complaints procedure and, even if you pay them off, you may be able to argue for some compensation.

Cogito, thank you for your reply.

I am absolutely terrified of posting anything off. Honestly, you would not believe me if I told you our nightmare saga of literally EVERYTHING we ever send - recorded signed for the lot that they deny ever receiving or receive but dont process, or receive then loose, or receive and just file with no action.

I will be continuing to complain becase I am disgusted and angry at how we have been treated over the years with stuff like endless infor going awry despite being sent recorded delivery and us able to provide and date, time, name and signature to proove it got there. They have not said sorry once.

Anyway I am going off on a tangent. I think I am basically too scared to post a cheque based on our past experience. But thank you for your suggestion.

Anyone else able to advise or suggest anything please.

Get them to confirm to you the full amount in writing, along with their account details and also with your payment reference number. Pay through online banking, using the reference number, or your national insurance number.

If you know the name of the office you are dealing with, it might already be available through your online banking list of payees.

Ask for a Subject Access Report from them, to get all of the facts they have about you.

This has worked for 3 people I know, who were lied to on the phone etc, but when they got the SAR it proved that they HAD received the letter, and had not actioned it.

How awful for you. I've heard other stories (though not as bad as yours) about HMRC being 'inefficient'!!!!!!
'The Money Programme' on Radio 4 might be interested in your case and their involvement would surely facilitate a speedy end to your problem.
My only experience of contacting them has been to spend hours trying to get through to them then have three advisors advising three different things. If you send your return to them in time for their deadline, but only just they send out a default letter stopping their payments while your form awaits 'processing'. What a ridiculous system!
I'm not surprised you don't want to just post off a cheque. Good advice from the other posters. You've every right to be very annoyed. I hope you get your case sorted very soon :)

Have you thought about getting your MP involved,he may be able to shake some asses and get some action,I know ours did with the local council.

Thank you all for taking the time to reply.

I am in such a state. I am sat here on edge waiting for Bailiffs which I know is rather ridiculous but I just dont trust the TC people say to me, Just had some bloke pop a leaflet through my door and I am shaking like mad, all I could think was "shit hide".

Anway - I just want to pay it off now. I cannot cope with anymore. I am now certain we owe them, I have never denied that, just asked for clarification of certain points and am just furious that they have never properly responded. We ended up doing all the leg work ourselves & worked out that the amount they want back is what we had. It took bloody weeks of Sunday afternoons trawling old statements etc when if they could have just given us a breakdown - we could have checked it all alot quicker. They have done nothing to facilitate us in resloving this despite us more less begging for assistance and telling them we want to resolve it. Then they threaten Bailiffs and legal action without any final demands or even chaser letters for the actual overpayment. I cannot tell you how upset, angry and stressed I am at how we have been treated.

This is making me so so ill that it would be money well spent (paying it off) imo just to get it all over and done with. I intend to follow up with the complaint at their total incompetence - but will do it after payment.

Its ridiculous. I can have that money in my bank account in a matter of days but I am sat here on the verge of tears because I am too frightend to hand it over, all my trust in them to do anything right has gone. I think if the money got "lost" by them I think it would be the final straw for me. I have actually been physically sick with the stress of this.

I just want to pay and am too scared .

You can pay them over the phone with your debit card, that way it's a direct bank transfer and they can't deny receiving it as it's traceable. You need to call thier overpayment line and they will put you through to the repayment dept.

I paid them back by standing order.

Also... Never send anything to them without it being signed for, I've even had recorded go missing between thier local sorting office and thier offices so now it always goes signed for, funny how those ones have never gone missing!

I have recently set up a DD to clear our overpayment over 12 months. They sent a letter to confirm everything and I have checked my account to make sure the funds have been paid on time. Very scary though!