Declaring different income to what us shown on tax credits renewal pack

[SpideyMom]

Thought it would be easier starting a new thread than resurrecting the old old.

Hopefully it will be straight forward.

My pack STILL hasn't arrived however I do know I need to declare different figures than what they are currently using. Basically my pension contributions.

Can I do this online or do I have to renew by post? I've planned to do by post having all the evidence ready to send back, but I'm obviously thinking more about speed now. They have reduced my award by alot and am currently struggling, which we already were anyway. So this month is incredibly hard. The sooner they can get it processed the better.

Has anyone had any experience of declaring different figures and how did you have to do it.

TIA x

@sleepinginthegarden sorry to hear that. I hope things will improve soon.
I honestly don't know how I'm gonna do another month at least of this though

Got my p11d this week so just need to get online and fill in the renewal.

I bet you are relieved it's finally arrived @Chasingsquirrels.

My Annual Pension Statement arrived yesterday too. I've already sent more than enough proof so won't worry too much about sending that separately.

I checked the app earlier thinking could this be the day it's changed...... Nope! Lol. If I don't laugh I could cry. I'm tired of struggling all because they are using the wrong income and its taking so long to amend. Something so important that determines your award is now taking 10 weeks to update. It's shocking.

Can you update your income with them during the year going forwards? I always do this. You don’t have to do it, but I’ve found it has prevented issues. I give an estimated income online. Only issue is I’m not sure if you can update pension contributions online - we get dividends and you don’t seem to be able to update that info online.

Yes I've done this. It's basically what I earnt last year too, but I suppose because it currently looks like I've been overpaid it's irrelevant me updating them with an income for this year as they believe I've been overpaid so are collecting it back.

Just hope it all gets processed soon

It’s awful having to rely on it - fortunately I don’t need every penny of it for day to day now because my boys are both on DLA so they get funded nursery hours and 2x disability premiums. Before that, i was terrified of overpayments because I didn’t know how I would pay them back. But then I have no pension, so it will be worth it in the long run - just very difficult right now. It’s awful having to struggle for every penny, but hopefully it will mean a larger payment when it’s all sorted. Took them so long to sort out the disability premium for DT1 that I got nearly a grand on top of my usual payment which has been a huge help.

I dread any overpayments too @SinkGirl.

As much as I wish it would hurry up, I I am relieved to know they are using the wrong income (what's shown on the provisional awards so far this tax year), as it means it has to change. But sadly I do rely on my payments for us to live even a basic life.

I wouldn't change my life with my little boy. He is my world, but the financial struggle since having him has been more than I could ever have imagined. I am very lucky that he is a very easy to please boy, he asks for nothing, but day to day life costs money. I was left with all the exs debts and they cripple me. This is why I rely on my TCs so much.

I can't wait for the day the debt is all paid as though I won't be well off, no where near, I will have some breathing space that I won't have to beg and borrow when things like this happens.

I know UC is based on real time earnings rather than annual. That's a good thing but then I will have this crap every month. I'm abit scared about getting moved if I am honest as I would be a hell of a lot worse off being on that system. It doesnt make sense to me as I don't earn very much at all as it is.

I guess we just have to sit and wait now :-(

Just completed mine, they clearly aren't going to like it as the pre-filled employment earnings has gone down to 0 due to my pension and gift aid contributions.
I'll wait for the letter querying it and then send paper copies of everything back.

If it's a big difference you'll have a heck of an overpayment.
If you contact them they'll give you a form for your income and expenses and workout a payment plan. it's usually about 40% off what you would usually receive.

It is going to be a significant under not over payment, the pension contributions I've made reduce my income for TC calculation purposes but the payments through the year haven't taken that into account.

Have you got this sorted yet, @SpideyMom?

My experience is similar to @Ahshitehesatitagain. DH has paid into the same private pension for many years (no employer scheme until very recently). Every year we give them the correct income figure (after deducting the private pension contributions). Then, after a few months they change his income figure back to what it says on his P60, reduce our payments accordingly and write to us saying what they have done and asking us to get in touch if we disagree. We then send them the evidence of the pension contributions and then they put our annual tax credits back up to what they should have been all along. They sometimes do this twice a year, and one year they did it 3 times. Each time I send them evidence of the contributions (even if they've had it already) and then they put the payments back up again (not always all the way though - they sometimes keep some of it back to be paid at the end of the year).

DH pays about the same amount into the same pension every year. You think there would be some system in place to alert them to this, particularly when they see the same evidence multiple times, but apparently not. It's such a waste of their time and mine. I have written and phoned them to ask if I can send the evidence with my annual review, so they have it already, but apparently not.

The good thing is that they accept as evidence screenshots from the SIPP account showing the money going in (with the name/account number highlighted) so at least I don't have to wait around for the SIPP provider to send me anything.

Hope this is useful info!

Thanks for that info @Trillis.

Unfortunately I am still waiting. I'm really struggling now. My payments reduced in May and it's been 4 weeks since I was able to renew. They haven't asked for evidence yet but I have sent it all anyway recorded so I know it's with them. It's now a waiting game. But I wish it would bloody hurry up!

Ive had the same conversations with them. Many times. Why can't I send all evidence in in April but apparently I can't. They are unnecessarily putting people in hardship when in my opinion it could he avoided. With my circumstances they are owing me, not the other way around but are acting like I've had a massive overpayment. Here I am trying to be sensible paying what I can into my pension and it leaves my relying on my credit card and family whilst it all gets processed. I am lucky I have those to fall back on for the time being as otherwise we wouldn't be able to get food in.

@SpideyMom did they say it was ok to send the evidence in before they asked for it? They told me not to do that and to wait for the letter from them. I'll get it sent off if that's the case. I've heard nothing either but luckily I'm financially ok. Have you thought of saving your pension contributions and then paying them in a lump before the end of the financial year? Would that help at all? Might mean you at least have access to cash while all this happens each time. I pay mine in mid March but mine is a stakeholder pension so I have control over it.

To be honest I did it in haste. I am so fed up and waiting for them to come to me, I sent if first thinking I would be proactive. Watch it not go in my favour 😢

Mine is a workplace pension. But not your typical. Its a relief as source scheme so it's taken net, and not. before any deductions. I've not really considered paying it any differently as its just taken from my salary so will look into it

Morning all.

Just checking in to see if anyone has any news yet? Hope everyone is ok

I’ve been lurking on this thread and the other one. Still waiting here. My payments were halved in April. My renewal finally came through on the 10th of June and I completed it the same day. For some bizarre reason they had DHs income as nearly 5k more than he actually earned. I have literally no idea where they got it from, I had his p60 in front of me. I called them and they weren’t interested - told me just to fill in renewal with his actual income and wait for a letter back. So that was 4 weeks yesterday and still not heard. I’ve been checking the app daily. We’ve been really struggling, I’m just hoping it goes back up!

I keep being thrown out of the app and having to sign in again.

I actually think checking it its deflating me more by the day. I keep telling myself its taking longer as there are changes to be made. But I never expected it to take this long :-(

I have no idea why I keep checking it. It's making me really miserable now just waiting for it.

I keep hearing October and November now for everything to be finalised. I really hope that wont be the case

I've just had a look at mine - it says processing.

But it also says no payments due on the front bit, tbh I'm not sure what it usually says as I don't check it, but I've been receiving payments so far this year. Is it not showing anything because the next payment will be after 31 July and they haven't processed my renewal yet?

I get paid weekly, so I can see advanced payments 8 weeks in front

I am waiting on my second renewal pack. Went on online chat last week to be told that my renewal pack was issued in April. When I said I hadn't got it, they claimed it was because when we moved house 18months ago the address only updated for me and not my husband.... Which is bollocks because we renewed last year just fine.

So now I'm waiting on the new pack. Tempted to renew online anyway. Ours is straightforward with no changes and no pension issues.

Also meant to say that I am sorry its been so stressful for you OP. Its a ridiculous system and UC is even worse.

@shimmersun oh what a joke! My advice would be to renew online anyway. When my first pack didn’t arrive, another was issued and I was told I could not renew on my first as the new pack (if it arrived) will be different. I waited, but lost patience and 5 weeks after my first pack was sent I renewed online anyway, without my second pack. That pack arrived 5 weeks after being reissued!!!

Anyway when I renewed online I discovered that they automatically use your latest renewal number. So it was nonsense being told if I renewed on my 1st pack it wouldn’t recognize it because a second pack has been sent. I would just do it.

They are being very lax with processing but I bet any renewals not completed by 31st July will have their payments stopped wef 01.08.19.

Sorry to hear the excuse they gave you. That’s all they give, excuses

Actually I've just checked and I haven't received any payments this year, last one was mid-March.
Looking at the paperwork the last letter I have was Jan 19 and shows a much reduced payment from Apr 19, but still a small amount.
I assume they've reduced it to nil based on expected income (without the pension contribution reduction) but I definately haven't had paperwork to confirm that.
It's only a small amount anyway, hence not having noticed (that and the fact I am much less on top of everything really since late-DH died), so I'll just wait for it to come out in the wash when the renewal is processed.

Just had a text saying renewal received and up to 8 weeks to process.
Don't really understand why processing isn't automatic with problems flagged up by exception.