Child Tax Credits...

[Elf1981]

... how do people manage to scam the system when I cant even get a legitimate claim processed?

I sent my claim for child tax credits at the beginning of April. I rang towards the end of May as I hadn't heard anything. I was told that there was a problem with my claim in the fact that my national security card is in my maiden name and my claim is in my married name. I explained that this was the same for my child benefit which hadn't been a problem. The guy told me that he'd updated the details and I should know in a couple of weeks.
Rang in the middle of June - they said they couldn't help me as it was being processed and they couldn't give time-line.
Rang today. Spoke to somebody else who said that there was a problem "matching" my details and it was still being processed and to leave it til the end of July and call them if I haven't heard anything.
She said I'd be backdated from the date the claim was sent to them - but their website claims only three months and they're now in the 4th month of having the claim, so who is right?

Am I being given the brush off?

How long does it take for a claim to go through?

i hate dealing with the child tax credits people. if you got to their website down load the complaints procedure and write to them. Its better than dealing with the poor soul on the end of the phone. hth

Thanks nicnack. I haven't fired off at anybody on the phone, having worked in that situation myself I always do my complaining in writing!

i did my claim on line and it didnt take any time at all, however ever since then i have had continuous probs including clawing back overpayments that were their fault. i continually gave them updates throughout a year and then they decided about 6 months into a new financial year that they had overpayed me. doming a major change next week dh is staying at home and going self employed and i an going back full time and i am absoluatly dreading explaining this to them and the subsequent problems.

Ah, see I spoke to them the other day as hadn't heard about mine (if they drop my income I have to inform student grants- it all gets a bit headachey) and they said they just ahd a severe backlog, and that things were being done at a very slow rate.

They took my details to do it on the phone and even that ahsn't changed yet, still being paid the same. And lets face it, no alteration to a claim NEVER happens!

Agree write to them! the problem is they've been call centered! when they were 1st set up, the people who you talked to on the phone did the processing, now they don't....hence the problems.....