Bloody woman at Tax credits office couldn't answer my question - can you?

[2plus2plus1]

It is a very long story but the basics are as follows:

Stopped paying Childcare in Dec 2006. They failed to receive a letter telling them this. When I did my renewal (4/8/06) guy said "doesn't matter - you havn't been receiving childcare element because of income. I will stop it as of today." - he couldn't ammend it any further back.

Notified them at end of Aug that my income had decreased.
They sent a letter with new award - which has £550ish childcare element.
Rang them immediately and told them I hadn't been paying childcare - so the new guy took it off back to Dec 2005. Expect my award to be reduced by £550.

Received my new award today and they have reduced last years bill (hence increasing my debt to them) and taken more than £550 off this years bill - £1200 to be precise - the net effect is that I now have a debt & they aren't going to pay me anything (unless you count £1.04 yesterday ) until October 2007.

I can't understand why me chaning the childcare has any effect other than the 'childcare element' The other thing that is obviously different between the 2 forms is that they are making bigger adjustments "due to income" - but I havn't changed my income between the 2 forms I am looking at.

I am going to do the obvious & dispute this but in the meantime can anyone tell me how a change in childcare can affect anything other than the 'childcare element' of the award?

It sounds like you actually were paid childcare element when you weren't due, and now it's caught up with you.

That said, they are so incompetent you couldn't make it up. They still have our account in error from 2003 (to do with childcare, too). Good luck.

Oh God, the tax credits system is so awful. DH and I are both intelligent, literate people with degrees and lots of experience reading official documents, but I have never ever, recieved any communication from the tax credits that I understand!!

Yes but under teh childcare section it says from 2005-06

"childcare element £3000
Reduction due to income £3000
Amount for period £0

Which says to me that they hav't paid it becasue my income was too high (which is fine with me).

On teh Family element it said (whilst childcare was still on the form)
Family element £5000
Reduction due to income £2000
Amount for period £3000

Now says (with no childcare)
Family element £5000
Reduction due to income £3000
Amount for period £2000

I don't understand why the reduction due to income for the family element has changed because my CHILDCARE has changed. (numbers are just for illustration BTW.

Sorry - I think my batteries are going in my keyboard...

Oh and why did they send me and DP 8 yes 8 letters on the same day. My letters were a copy of DPs. I had a go at the woman about this too & she said that they have to cos government says so. But when it takes a day to understand 1 letter - getting 8 doesn't help.

I have a degree too BTW - obviously in the wrong subject...

I think you're looking for logic where there ain't none, hun.
I have a PhD with lots of statistics in it and I can't find any rationale to the CTC system.

I had this problem when ds1 went to childminder 03-04. They comepletly fucked everything up.
I told them ds was attending childminders 2 days a week while i went to went to work. That put on the system that i was no longer looking after ds1 and stopped all payments!
In the end i was going to my local TC office recieving hardship payments and the problem is still going on because they had to pay me for 03-04 in 04-05 tax year, which buggered up the system even more and now they are telling me i owe them x amount, well they can go whistle and take me to court! Because they are really stupid at there office, can't even input a few details, and end up making sum1 go through depression and hard times (so my children went without!)
You should send a letter of complaint and hopefully they can say it is a fault at there end and sort it for you!

look here to find out how to complain

Thanks for that. I have already requested a Code of Pratice pack - which apparently allow me to appeal. IF I can PROOVE it is their cock up I won't have to pay it back. I have a copy of teh letter that was sent but because it will be a secoond printout & not a signed & dated original photocopy it may not stand up to much.

I just want to know why a change in childcare arrangements (whoevers fault) causes a change in non-childcare based elements?

They are going to send me a spreadsheet that apparently will be very clear as to where the overpayment has arisen. We will see about that.

Makes me wonder why I reported the error in the first place. I would probably have never come to light otherwise. I genuinely wish I hadn't & feel like I am being penalised for being honest . I am going back to work part time after mat leave & them not paying me is going to be a real bummer.

Ahhhh. I think I have finally worked it out. Found what appears to be an internal powerpoint presentation to HMRC employees explaining it. Just need to do a few more calculations to satisfy myself...

If what I think is true - they really need to be more clear on there award letters because it is very misleading at the moment.

Have to add that we can never ever understand tax credits, nor speak to anyone at the other end who can explain. No help, but you're clearly not alone!

www.entitledto.com

dont know how to add this properly but its a site to work out how muc you are entitled to.i find it works right with my claim details.have a look and see what it says with yours to compare