Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Money matters

Find financial and money-saving discussions including debt and pension chat on our Money forum. If you're looking for ways to make your money to go further, sign up to our Moneysaver emails here.

Original poster

Tax Credits AGAIN....sorry rant alert!

29 replies

Thecharmed1 · 11/12/2006 11:24

I am constantly having problems with my claim and would appreciate any advice.

It all started when ds1 was taken to childminder so i could go to work p/t. I informed IR that DS1 was attending childminders for 2 days a week costing ?XX, they then stopped my payments I contacted them and they had on there records that i was no longer ds1 main carer
I had to go to a IR centre (which is now closed), to try and sort things out and i also recieved hardship payments to help pay towards childminder. This was an ongoing thing and eventually they relized that they was at fault and decided i was entitled to ?7000+, but i only saw ?5000 of it, and to be honest i could not be bothered because i had become so stressed and depressed over what had gone on i just left it at that!

Well then i had ds2 in may 05 and my partner (now dh), moved into our 2 bedroom on Oct 05 and i informed IR of this by phone and by sending of a new application form (which i was told to do by IR).
I didn't hear anything back and in January i received a new form so i sent this one of as well.
Still didn't hear anything until Mar 06 and they phoned to speek to dh, to ask when we moved to our new address, he told them October 05 and they said that they would sort out any outstanding payments that might be owed to us!
Well a couple of weeks after my dh spoke to them they had put just over ?1000 into my account, so i just thought it was an outstanding payment.

Then in June they send me a letter stating that i owe them ?1000+, so i contact them to be told that its there mistake!
Then in July i recieve another letter from them stating that i now owe them ?3000+
I contact them via letter, and recieve a response about 4 weeks later telling me that i can not appeal, i have no right to appeal and i have to pay the money back.
I respond to the letter giving him dates and times of what had happened when we moved and what i had done to inform them about our move.
I had not heard anything so thought that it was still being investigated, until thursday when i found a voicemail on my phone asking me to phone them within 24 hours.
I phoned them on Thursday and was told that i now owe ?4730.13p
My response 'was how do i owe that much?'
He responds, 'that is what it says on my computer and that i have to pay it'
My response 'I cant afford that'
he responds 'you need to work out all of you incomings and out goings and let us know by monday'

Well i have worked it out and we actually have ?5-10 spare each month
Surely they cant expect us to pay this, what if the children need some new shoes.

And i can say for sure, i informed them, so why is it my fault that they cant do there bloody job and update the system when they are told and why do i have to pay back so much when i dont even think that i have had that much of them.

I am just getting so fed up with them and feel like they are always picking on the innocent when there is people out there that are scamming the system

Sorry, rant over.

Thanks for reading this long, long post, and any responses/advice would be greatly appreciated

OP posts:
steffy1 · 11/12/2006 11:59

hi, just read your post. that is awful of them. i had a problem like this back in 2003.Everytime i rang them i asked them to put a record on my file saying i had rung so they couldnt dispute i had rung them. they overpaid me and partner nearly £3000 because of their admin mistake. they later requested this back.......my partner refused to pay it back and went through some sort of tribunal/complaints case thing with them, and we eneded up not paying it back.i think this is a ruling by government if claim started to mess up in first one or two years of tax credits starting as a scheme. they cant have from you what you havent got, but be careful they dont take it back from next year and only give you a complete pittance next tax year. They will have to take reasonable repayments-i know its so awful when things need buying and there appears to be no money whatsoever, and these reasonable repayments will have to be what you can afford, so you dont 'go under'. the tax credits system frightens me-im always worried im going to get it wrong, as our income varies year to year because of overtime, etc. Good luck and insist on them noting your call!

expatinscotland · 11/12/2006 12:07

Contact your MP, charmed.

Ours was very helpful.

Original poster
Thecharmed1 · 11/12/2006 12:10

Where can i get the details for my local MP, I'm in London.

I have been through something simular before and ended up writing a letter of complaint before, and luckily it was resolved there, but i am being told by this person that i have no right to appeal!

OP posts:
expatinscotland · 11/12/2006 12:11

I found out who mine was by typing my post code into 'Upmystreet.com'

expatinscotland · 11/12/2006 12:11

We had such a disaster w/them, we no longer claim them at all.

steffy1 · 11/12/2006 12:12

I just really dont like the whole system-it puts me off every tax year and i leave it until the last minute! Good Luck with it all

steffy1 · 11/12/2006 12:13

See, thats my point! its puts me off, bit its obviously put you off enough to not have them-thats awful (of them i mean).

Original poster
Thecharmed1 · 11/12/2006 12:14

I rely on this money (unfortunately), my dh money pays most of the bills and mine pays for the shopping, council tax, and ds1 nursery dinners. So if they stop our payments we wouldn't be able to afford groceries shopping or pay c/t or ds1 would not eat at nursery!

OP posts:
steffy1 · 11/12/2006 12:16

Thats how i rely on my tax credits too-mine pay for council tax bill, phone bill, nursery costs(partially) and other bits and bobs. I really need them. i really hope there is a light for you at the end of the tunnel

expatinscotland · 11/12/2006 12:16

It's a seriously messed up system.

I mean, why can't they just tax you less?

steffy1 · 11/12/2006 12:16

or never tax ever again!!!!

Original poster
Thecharmed1 · 11/12/2006 12:20

Thanks for the advice about contacting my MP.
I am going to write a letter today and send it of for them to review, and try and sort for me!

I just cant believe they have f**ked up my payments twice since november 03!
Total retards

Thanks for your advice girls!

Have made me feel like there could be some hope to get sorted, and try and sort out there messed up system!

(they even threatened me with legal action being taken against me)

OP posts:
expatinscotland · 11/12/2006 12:23

I'd make a bullet-point letter for the MP, w/dates in chronological order.

Also, if you've kept any of the notices they've sent you, send copies to the MP.

And tell them they told you you cannot appeal, but gave no reason as to why this is.

Also log whoever you spoke to on the phone, date and time.

Original poster
Thecharmed1 · 11/12/2006 12:25

Didn't take names from the phone calls (very gutted now), but IR should have it on there system shouldn't they?

OP posts:
sandcastlesforanaussiexmas · 11/12/2006 12:26

They ignored 3 letters & 1 phone call from us when we emigrated. We knew we were no longer entitled, we were told to phone when we had the date that we would be leaving the UK. We phoned & sent a letter too. When we got online in Oz we checked our bank & they were still paying us. They paid us until October (we left in June) after a further letter & a call.

After the last letter, they had the aidacity to almost accuse us of claiming fraudulantly & telling us they are investigating. Then I sent a letter saying it was THEIR fault, they ignored letters etc. I got a very rude letter saying basically 'you should have known you weren't entitled, you are at fault, you can not appeal you must pay 140gbp asap. No where near as much as you, you have my sympathies.

BUT they don't tell us who to pay, how to pay, where to send it! So I have to ring them, wrong number 'we can't tell you who to pay it to, ring this number' another call from Oz...Fecking wankers!

They are more than useless!

expatinscotland · 11/12/2006 12:28

Just use dates and approximate times you phoned then, charmed. Yes, they record their calls.

Bullet points or numbering will help your MP look into your case, too.

steffy1 · 11/12/2006 12:28

im not honestly sure that they keep record of anything..................

steffy1 · 11/12/2006 12:29

maybe check/order some phone bills if it may help support your case?

expatinscotland · 11/12/2006 12:30

Also contact:
[email protected]

expatinscotland · 11/12/2006 12:31

Outline your case to them - NI numbers and that like - same as w/the MP letter.

Original poster
Thecharmed1 · 11/12/2006 12:31

We do our phone bill online so theres no paperwork, and i aint sure if i could get any of our phone bills from previous address

OP posts:
Original poster
Thecharmed1 · 11/12/2006 12:36

Thank expat and steffy, i am going to try and dig out every piece of paper work i have recieved from them since i started claiming TC, and try and write a short essay (will probably be about 4 pages long, lol)

Do you think i should contact them to let them know that i am going to be complaining and contacting my MP or should i just do it?

OP posts:
expatinscotland · 11/12/2006 12:37

I never bothered telling htem I was complaining. Just went straight to our MP - our MSP as well b/c we are in Scotland - and contacted the adjudicators office.

steffy1 · 11/12/2006 12:44

i think if youre with BT they do keep records-check your online account?Not sure if ordering back bills costs £££ though?

Original poster
Thecharmed1 · 11/12/2006 12:47

I am with telewest and can only track my phone records for the past 6 months!

OP posts:
Swipe left for the next trending thread