Tax credit - Help!

[SnapCrackleandPoop]

Thought I could use some help with this as I keep panicking
Just recieved a letter from tax credits stating that I need to pay them back £1300 for the period ending 11/09/2012 (the day I moved in with dp)

Its only child tax credits and I was getting 62.09 a week which I had checked a few times to say it was correct as I ddnt want to be overpaid. I was never overpaid and we are struggling enough as it is.
How can they have overpaid me and why wait till now to ask for it back.
What do I do? I already feel like im heading towards a breakdown and this is just about to push it too far

Was this time period when you were on your own as a single parent? If they are in the wrong then it will get sorted so try not to panic! Do you receive any tax credits now?

Did you finalise your award when letters came out April 13-June 13 for finalisation by 31st July 13. If not they seek to recover the entire period paid.

Ring them.

OP for period 6/04/12-11/09/12 would be covered in above finalisation

I was a single parent living with my parents from jan2012 -Sept 2012. I didnt start claiming tax credits till May 2012(didn't know I could claim).
I didn't get a letter this year other than one asking to check there were no change of circumstances which I did
I have a fear of ringing people so will have to wait till I can get to CAB or I could write a letter?

I still get £62 a week butI know it should have reduced to around 50 when DS turned one. I've checked plenty of times to see if it is correct, now starting to think I've been overpaid now tto

You need to contact them ASAP.

I think you didn't finalise your award therefore the whole award is repayable.

Have a read of this.

www.hmrc.gov.uk/taxcredits/keep-up-to-date/renew-claim/why-renew.htm

Everyone who makes a claim for tax credits during a tax year gets a renewal pack. This also applies if you:
• claimed tax credits but didn't get them because your income is too high (a 'nil' award)
• only got tax credits for part of the year

You get a separate renewal pack for each claim you have made during the year.

Basically you got it for part of the tax year so would have had a renewal pack and should have either checked it and signed it and returned it or called the tax credit helpline by 31st July. As you didn't its generated an overpayment. Now you need to find out if there is any way of sorting it out late.

Can they do that? I never got a letter about finalising :( but then there are four houses with the same number down this road and one family is spiteful enough to not give us our post.

I didn't get a letter this year other than one asking to check there were no change of circumstances which I did

That's the letter. Have a look for it now. I think you need to speak to CAB urgently. I also suspect your current payments will stop too.

www.independent.co.uk/money/tax/consumer-rights-last-call-to-renew-your-tax-credits-ahead-of-wednesdays-deadline-8735004.html

Have a read of all the links.

don't panic too much, i got one of this the other day. if you do have to pay it back they let you spread it over 3 years and you don't pay interest or anything, so my payments are £19 a month.
call them now, they're very nice and helpful.

It turns out that when I changed circumstances they didn't put it down till february (I told them in November) they then stopped my tax credits and gave me some money back which they now decided they want back. I could argue it but I have too much else to deal with so have gone with their repayment plan. £32 a month for 3 years. Going to struggle more now but I have no fight left.