Tax Credits Compliance Letter sigh

[DingbatsFur]

Hi,
We've had a lovely letter from the Tax Credits Compliance people about our award for last year. They would like:
EVERYTHING
payslips, contracts and invoices from childminders, P60s, P45s, our bank account statements for the period from January through to April 2013. DH was out of work at the start of 2012 and then on a training course until the June of 2012 so his earnings are very very low. The list goes on and on and on
I feel really nervous. We haven't done anything dodgy at all. Kids were legitimately in childcare and we can supply with them with the information they want (except the child benefit references because I appear to have misplaced them). But, I don't want to send an envelope containing all my personal details in the post and I don't want to give them my bank account details because I frankly do not want to print out however many pages of internet banking for them.
Can I ask to deal with an actual person? Any experience? I really really hate the tax credits people and didn't want to claim the stuff in the first place. We aren't claiming for 2013-2014 and have already told them so.
Thanks,

Well there are 3 elements with tax credits:

Child Tax Credits - get it regardless of whether you work or don't, as long as you have children.

Working Tax Credits - get it as long as you are working 24 hours or more between you per week (16 if lone parent or one person is otherwise incapacitated for work - strict definitions apply). One person must be working at least 16 hours per week.

Child care element of Working Tax Credits -both must be working 16 hours or more per week unless one is incapa

Well hopefully then all there is to debate is the £200 childcare element of working tax credit.

Hi OP

I had to go through the compliance team for my initial claim after becoming a single parent so I feel your pain!

My top tips:

1. Go into a branch of your bank and get them to print out your statements for you (mine were about two inches high!)

1. Persevere and you will get the name of the specific person dealing with your claim, and their direct dial number. Saves A LOT of time.

1. Be extremely nice to the person in number 2 above even if you feel they are torturing you by asking for reams of irrelevent info.

1. Take a deep breath and do whatever you can to get the info together.

I never thought I would get to the end of the requests but I did, and was awarded my claim in full and it was backdated due to the delay. AND they posted back all my original documents.

Good luck!!!

p.s. I got the impression that there were certain triggers that get you referred immediately to the compliance team, do don't automatically assume you have done something wrong or been overpaid.

Thanks Sugardonut! I appreciate it. Nearly have evrything together now, one last set of bank statements to get and childminder to confirm a letter is correct and we're done.
Week has been a conplete nightmare but I was so glad we kept accurate records.
Breathing deeply... Ahhh

An glad your claim is all sorted! Hope things are good for you now!

Hi Folks,
Update!
Spoke to compliance team again after they had reviewed my documents. They were very helpful. It appears they believe they made an error in relation to my childcare and while they will demand an overpayment becuase it was their error I should be able to dispute the charge and not have to pay.
Joy.