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Tax credits- overpayment (accountancy rules/laws) and general incompetence

2 replies

Oblomov16 · 19/10/2016 21:45

Wonder if anyone can help. I've had a nightmare with tax credits. They claim they've sent me letters. They deny I've phoned more than 20 times. Today one of them finally admitted that yes I had phoned on xxx and also on xxx. I've made 3 complaints. Getting nowhere.

The problem is they say they've overpaid. I disputed it. But it got sent to debt recovery. I'm already paying it off. But they refuse to give me a breakdown. Still.

My main question is this: is tax credits, as far as the law concerned, re accountancy laws, supposed to be 'timely'.

Yes they have an alliance, a thrash old, for the years. But is it time reflective aswell.

Like employment benefit or housing benefit?
Say you earns well, but then lost your job. Employment benefit wouldn't say, well you earns well last month. What you earns last month is irrelevant, if you haven't any money this month.

Is this athe same with tax credits.

My husband earnt OK. Then lost his job. Had nothing for many months. Job centre insisted I phoned said, so he's earnt £0. No I said, he earnt xxx, but now nothing for months. They paid us. They insisted. I said no, and said I'd send the chequer back. No, they insisted.

Then towards the end of the year, 3/4 of the way through the tax year, dh gets new job. He's over the threshold they say. You have to pay back the money we gave you back at the begging of the year.

Yes it's true, over the threshold. But what about all the months with no money?

Does anyone see what I mean? It needs to be proportional.

Or have I got it all wrong?

OP posts:
Lagirafe · 19/10/2016 21:49

I'm sorry I don't think tax credits work like that - they base your payments on your total combined earnings for the entire tax year. So it's irrelevant if you earnt £0 for several months, they are only going to be interested in the total.

Oblomov16 · 19/10/2016 22:05

Ok thank you. Job centre insisted we told them. We survived for ages on nothing. Now I wish I'd never contacted them.

OP posts:
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