Tax credits review!!

[colbylee22]

This is my first thread and was hoping for some advice. I have a 16 month old daughter and have been receiving child tax and working tax. So here's my problem I done my review on the 28th of April and received a letter mid July wanting proof of my working hours and proof my daughter lives with me . My problem being I've applied for child benefit 3 times and everytime they've lost my forms (how convenient) so long story short 14 months and 3 sets of birth lines later in still waiting. So I sent all my documents to tax credits except my daughter's child benefit number as I'm still waiting. I called them today and have been told that they have deemed me not responsible for my daughter and that I will be losing her money and have to pay back every penny since she was born. The gent on the phone told me to appeal but it can take 8 weeks to 've dealt with which is a long time with no money for my daughter . I have 2 older son's which they are going to take money off as part of the overpayment so it's leaving me really short . I don't even know if the child benefit will be sorted anytime soon as I've had to send another form last week and I think they said that can take 8 weeks has anyone else ever had this problem or know anything else I can send to prove my daughter lives with me I've already sent birth lines and a hospital letter but that wasn't good enough. I've made an appointment with my gp and health visitor to see if they can give me a letter. I've not seen the letter yet as the gent on the phone said it was sent out today so won't get it till next week but he told me what it says. Any advice would be welcome thanks in advance.

Your daughters Nhs card? A savings bank statement in her name?

Could you visit your local money advice centre, there's often a locally run one - cab would know.

Failing that I'd attend my MPs office and see if they can assist.

Do you have proof of postage for the child benefit, to get them to hurry up?

Thanks for your reply . I couldn't find her nhs card . Yeah I sent this form recorded delivery as this is my daughter 4th set of birth lines and it all mounts up. Is it not tax credits that send the nhs card ? I know there's obviously people that are out to fraud the system but when your genuine it's horrible as you feel as if you've done something wrong. I'm going to make an appointment with my mp.

What are birth lines?

Have you received no child benefit at all in 16 months? I'd be taking that higher if it truly is because they have lost your forms.

Yes it is truly because they have lost my forms no doginess here. Nope not a penny in child benefit and to be honest they only backdate 3 months so I've lost a lot of money on that. Sorry birth lines is my daughter's birth certificate as these have to be sent with every form and as they keep losing them I need to get duplicates which cost £15 everytime. Everything I've said on my post is true honestly couldn't make this shit up.

That is shocking service from them.

I wasn't sure if you meant birth cert but I know how much it costs for certified copies.

I would definitely be seeing my MP to see if they could help. I don't know if there is an ombudsman for child benefit who you could go to? They have to be held accountable for the situation you've ended up in and stress caused.

I'm sorry I have no other suggestions

Thanks for your reply ditsy1980 . I'm really shocked at tax credits aswell as I've told them on numerous occasions about this and they just stop my payments I have 2 other kids whom I receive child benefit for so they know I'm entitled to it and tax credits have seen my daughter's birth cert so they know she's a legitimate child. I was then wondering what if any individual choose not to claim child benefit would they then not get tax credits obviously I do but getting no where but if you didn't it seems you would lose tax credits aswell seems like total madness. It's a terrible situation especially when you have done everything you've been asked to do and still get penalised. I'm going to contact my mp tomorrow as I'm not only losing my daughter's money they are taking money of what I'm left with for the overpayment of over 3000 pound I know it will get sorted eventually but that doesn't help me in the meantime.

Have you contacted the child benefit office?
To be honest if it has been 16 months i would have been chasing it up with them a long time ago

Yes I've contacted the child benefit office and have been chasing it up. Have you ever contacted them before? When you phone they tell you it takes 6 weeks for your form to go on the system sometimes longer and then another 6 weeks for it to be completed so 3 forms later can you see were the 14 months has went. Im not on here to be criticised ive done everything ive been asked of and its cost me over £50 on birth lines ,phone calls and postage . I'm here for advice I've done nothing wrong. But thanks for your reply .

Wow that is terrible, yes phone the CAB and see your MP who can refer you to the ombudsman. Get all the dates of phone calls and proof postage together. They may try to say you can't backdate but it's their fault. Good luck.

Thanks for your reply obviously I'm hoping they backdate the full amount but if they don't then not much I can do I've asked everytime I've called for them to put a note on the system that I've called so they should also have a record. I'm more worried about getting tax credits sorted as I do need it and really can't wait 8 weeks when I'm also paying a overpayment back for something I don't owe. I've emailed my mp and I'm waiting on someone from cab calling me back.

Hi a little update on my situation I spoke to lovely girl at tax credit office regarding my situation and she advised me the reason my claim had been deemed not responsible for my daughter and low and behold it's because I didn't send her birth cert with the other information they asked for but my reason for not doing so was because I had previously sent this when she was 2 months old and was told if I had already sent it I wouldn't need to do so again . Joke right as the person who made the decision had the birth cert on file the whole time. I was advised yesterday that I couldn't fill the appeal form in online today the girl told me I can and it's the quickest way to do it as my case is closed I still have to appeal but I don't see why when it's there mistake not mine. The girl advised me to phone as soon as I complete the appeal form for it to be made priority which is good so fingers crossed it won't take the 8 weeks as previously advised. So long story short my payments have more than halved and it's their fault and I still have to appeal surely if they make these mistakes they should be able to rectify them . Glad things are getting sorted though and this girl was very helpful. Thanks for all your reply.x

Glad you're getting sorted Colby and hope it doesn't take as long as first thought. The next few weeks will be tight but going forward will be ok.
I'm still 😮at your experience.

Aww thank you for your kind words ditsy I'm currently still waiting on the appeal form coming through as any correspondence from them takes forever they are defo in no rush. To be fair I'm actually thinking they might even owe me money as my annual figure dropped by 2,500 due to being on maternity pay so probably the reason for the review so they don't have to pay out. I hope what the girl told me is true as you get so many different scenarios from them you actually don't know what to believe but this girl was really nice so ill give her the benefit of the doubt. Thanks for you reply and I hope I don't need to repost regarding this issue 😂😂😂