Tearing my hair out over tax credits.

[Sweetsecret]

I have recently become a single mum, my H left me and the kids. So I started claiming as I am SAHM gave up work when my first was born. Made my claim for tax credits, in May! They have apparently sent me a letter in June asking for the kids birth certificate, I didnt receive it. so they issued another one, two weeks ago, still haven't received it.
It has been nearly two months since I made my claim and no one is willing to help me when I call them! Are they always this bad or is it just my case?
I have bills to pay and can't pay them because the money I do receive goes on food.
I am starting to get so stressed out by it all.

Get your local MP on the case. A phone call from them might help things along. Good luck.

If they have confirmed that they have your original claim form, can you not just send them copies of the birth certificate along with a covering letter and your National insurance number on? They can surely match the paperwork up and then get on with the process?

Not sure this helps?

well what a mess this is.
I have been calling them everyday and it has been going on for 9 weeks now.
They finally told me (after three letters were sent out and I didn't receive them ) that they can't match my DS child benfit as it is in my ex H name. we didn't realise. 9 weeks it has taken for them to tell me that, so now I have to make a new claim for child benefit in my name, my ex will cancel his claim and it will take another 12 weeks!
I have £50 in my account and no way of paying bills.
it is crazy!
I offered for me to send the birth certs to then but they said I had to fill out this form they have apparently sent me three times which I never receive! I am going out of my mind over this.

Can your ex help with bills in the meantime? Once the tax credits are sorted, it should be backdated. Hope it gets sorted soon.

He is paying for some, but he is in heaps of debt so has no money. I am really in the shit. he says if the money doesn't come soon he is going to have to start cancelling direct debits

Last year I had a similar problem when unable to work due to Cancer it took the DWP 5 months to sort out my claim! Tax credits similar problem. I now understand that at that time instead of borrowing money to feed us and pay the bills I could have been given emergency hardship funds. It might be worth asking about this on the phone or in your local job centre. Good luck. The system has fallen apart. I was bedridden post op trying to get this sorted and stressed to the max when I should have been healing having had major surgery. I wrote to my MP and received an apology from the minister responsible, however I wanted them to change the system so that no mother should have to go through the same. They are very happy to penalise claimants when late for an appointment, but their late payments cause terrible suffering and goes on all the time.
I could rant on further, grrrrrr!

Phone and tell them your problems when they are cutting tax credits if they leave you short they can "loan" you money. They should be trained to cope with situations like yours and get it sorted or point you in the right direction. I've always found them pretty good but if not get onto the citizens advice bureau, go to an office if you have to they will go through what you are due and help you organise putting off some payments until your sorted. Your utility providers would rather know the money is coming and not cut you off.

Hi, well after 10 weeks! They called me to say yes we can match your son's previous child benefit number to prove he exists, so you should get first payment on Friday, (tomorrow) So basically it took them 10 weeks to make a decision based on information I gave them in the original application.
I am appalled at how badly it has been dealt with, I made an application for a hard ship loan last week so I don't know what to do regarding this now, cancelling etc.
Fingers crossed it actually does turn up tomorrow.

Sweetsecret, I really hope that you get that money and can start to breathe again. It's totally nonsensical how they have dealt with you!

Good luck

Yep came through this morning. being able to pay my bills is such a relief, I am upto date now. feel like the world has been lifted from my shoulders. what a total mess though. thanks for the replies, I was so stressed.