Any advice very welcome .
I received a letter asking for proof of my childcare costs in May .
I use after school club and also a childminder.
It was mostly my fault I didn't gather the required information, but basically when I did the school were not very forthcoming with proper receipts and my childminder was involved in an accident and hospitalised for a few weeks .
Calling her up for her registration number and receipts was just not appropriate .
I called up on the day the evidence was due back and asked for an extension and why and was refused .
I asked to have a note put on the computer saying I would be trying to send the paperwork in asap.
I did and I sent it recorded, probably 2 maybe 3 weeks after it was due --- so about 10 days ago,
They have this week halved my tax awards.
I have thoroughly looked through all my paperwork and
- they are claiming back £560 overpayment from last year.
That's exactly what my childcare element was and the new award for LAST year is saying £0.
Then this years award has been changed. Again I've read it through and my award is exactly the same in everything else except that £1440 childcare element has been withdrawn and it now says I have no childcare award and don't use registered childcare .
So I'm £70 per week worse off, and its happened the same month my ex had decided to stop paying the mortgage !
When I sent all my details verifying my childcare costs I also sent a long letter and sent it recorded. It could well be sitting in an in tray judging by the backlog im hearing about .
Im aware that they can do this as I didn't have the evidence in in time .
The award does say its not the final one .
Can I hope at all that when they receive the evidence they will not then expect me to pay back all last years childcare and re award my childcare for this year. Otherwise there is no way I can afford to pay my childminder .
I do know I should have been quicker off the mark but now Im so worried .
TIA