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Original poster

Tax credit renewals - anyone heard back?

289 replies

Divgirl2 · 01/07/2019 10:59

I've been checking the HMRC app every hour day for the last three weeks but still nothing. Has anyone heard back yet? I renewed at the beginning of June.

I was on mat leave for a decent chunk of last year and so my pay was considerably less what they say it was (exactly what I had declared it would be, but there you go) so what I get currently is leaving me £200 short every month.

Really hoping I hear soon because it's miserable being skint.

OP posts:
Chasingsquirrels · 09/08/2019 08:28

After my phone call in response the their text message yesterday afternoon mine had been updated by a couple of hours later to say complete and will receive award notification within 2 weeks.

Looking at my current year estimates that has been updated as well (which she did say she was doing) to the same figures as my last year actuals.

I'm still not showing any payments due though.

Who do we have to update about 16yo's staying in education?
I had a child benefit form a few months ago and sent that back on the basis of where I expect him to be going.

sleepinginthegarden · 09/08/2019 09:04

Just child benefit and tax credits regarding them staying in education.

Is it just me or does it seem like everyones renewals who have reported a different income to what hmrc hold seem to have triggered some sort of problem this year.

SpideyMom · 09/08/2019 09:12

Well I was hoping for my app to have at least updated from September. But my WTC has been completely removed from then which means we are worser off that we have been for the last few months. It doesn't make sense as they were paying it fine when they believed I was earning alot more. So surely I was still eligible for it then?

I could honestly cry at how this process is going.

Theresomethingaboutdairy · 09/08/2019 18:19

Wow! I can't believe the trouble people are having. I renewed online on 29/07 (last minute, as usual). My online account had updated payments by 2/8 and all of my final award paperwork arrived today. Is there a reason that some claims are taking so long to process? I didn't have any changes or need to send any additional information, if that helps.

Theresomethingaboutdairy · 09/08/2019 18:20

I did have an overpayment of £800 which they are recouping monthly.

SpideyMom · 10/08/2019 08:43

Mine was because they are trialling a system when our renewals are being done electronically. So mine fell into that pile and because it went against the information they had it red flagged it. It still took over 8 weeks to get to that point though. However when an advisor did it over the phone it was done the next day. Looks wrong to me but am waiting for my paperwork. So lesson learned, in future I'm renewing over the phone as I will always have the same problems

Ahshitehesatitagain · 10/08/2019 13:03

I've done a mandatory reconsideration for mine. I also did it online, got the text, rang, gave them the correct figures which they then promptly ignored. So I've sent everything in about a week ago now, so early days. What a waste of time, money and effort for all those involved.

SpideyMom · 10/08/2019 19:56

@Ahshitehesatitagain what did they do with yours again? Use the wrong income?

Ahshitehesatitagain · 10/08/2019 20:55

Yes, due to my private pension, usually they ring me, I explain the discrepancy then they formally write requesting the proof. This year they text, I rang, the woman told me she'd change it manually on the system to reflect the correct income and said I needn't send in proof. I questioned this as she sounded like she didn't have a clue tbh. Instead the incorrect income was used to finalise my award which I found out when I got a letter from them a week later. So this time I've had to formally request a mandatory consideration, with a covering letter which advised them of their inadequate process and the proof that I knew they'd require all along. Piss up and brewery spring to mind this year!

SpideyMom · 10/08/2019 21:19

Mines been based on a different income I've been told. Doesn't make sense why to ask for your earned income if they input it wrong anyway

danni0509 · 10/08/2019 21:40

@SpideyMom

did you get any paper work yet? Does your still say processing? Mines still as it was processing, no paperwork. X

SpideyMom · 10/08/2019 22:33

It's still processing so I doubt I will have my paperwork before I go away x

danni0509 · 13/08/2019 11:45

Just a quick update, I got all of my paperwork yesterday.

Still says processing online, so it is an error and just hasn't updated. Deleted the app now.

Good luck for those still waiting,

See you again next year Grin

sleepinginthegarden · 14/08/2019 10:58

Just a quick update to say mine says online that my renewal has now been finalised and that i should recieve my paperwork in the next two weeks, still the same regarding payments incorrect and that its asking for self employed income, but can not sort that till paperwork arrives.

SpideyMom · 14/08/2019 13:48

Mines still telling me its being processed online so paperwork definitely won't arrive anytime soon. I still don't believe it's right, however it's closer to what I should be getting than what I was getting.... So the pressure is off thank god

danni0509 · 14/08/2019 14:00

@SpideyMom

mine still says processing online even now and I got all my paperwork Monday so online is deffo an error x

Ahshitehesatitagain · 14/08/2019 16:03

Well something has happened my end. I've got a one off payment (again) for £6 next week, wahoo! Still says processing but wondering if the change has been prompted by my mandatory reconsideration request. Other payments are currently still the same.

SpideyMom · 14/08/2019 19:03

What will you do with your windfall @Ahshitehesatitagain 😂 please take that as a joke, as the whole renewal process this year has been one

tiredmamma79 · 21/08/2019 10:06

Hi, has anyone managed to get this sorted yet? I renewed on May 19th, it originally said it would be complete within 8 weeks, then changed to 30th Nov. Still stuck on processing!! I did declare a lower amount to what they had from my Employer by £2000. My partner is in his first year of self employment and the notes said you can deduct any losses off total household income. So may have been flagged up for extra checks, which is fine don't have an issue with this. But over 3 months now is a joke! I ring and they just say it's processing don't need any further info, not had any letters or anything asking for anything else.

Bluesky2019 · 21/08/2019 10:24

Mine still not heard back. My DH’s income has increased by £3000 this year. I have reported the change online and still not heard anything back. I don’t want have a massive over payment to pay back! :( so slow!

Ahshitehesatitagain · 21/08/2019 11:28

I just rang them again to check they'd received my mandatory reconsideration. They have and the lady looked to see what had happened when I'd rung them in July. That person had inputted the incorrect income, no explanation as to why. The mandatory reconsideration should have been done within 9 working days and they're outside that timeframe now. She apologised and said they're busy but it will be dealt with. Flaming useless!

Ps I treated DC to a McDs with the £6 windfall 🤣

tiredmamma79 · 21/08/2019 13:48

I've emailed my MP, I've never known anything to be so ridiculous, I also had to report a change that my childcare had stopped at the end of July. Didn't do it when I renewed as I still had childcare costs in May. They havnt actioned the childcare change either so im still getting extra that I know I'm not entitled to! Bet they don't take as long to work out repayments for the overpayment as they have taken to complete the renewal!! Nice to hear u spent your windfall wisely 😂😂

Saladd0dger · 21/08/2019 14:09

I’m having a nightmare with tc. My partner got over paid so had to pay it back. Seems his old employer didn’t adjust it with hmrc. They think we earned 3.5k more than we did and his ex employer is dragging their feet over sorting it out. Plus they weren’t interested in our workplace pension contributions so that’s over 4K more they think we have had and we haven’t. My award finally arrived this morning and we are getting nothing 😭 been doing the universal credit calculator and that’s says we will be so much better off. Seems to good to be true

tiredmamma79 · 22/08/2019 09:42

Saladd0ger just double check everything before you switch over, if your tax credits have stopped because they have taken it off you to pay back an overpayment they will probably take it back from your UC too. If this is the case there is a form you can fill in on your online tax credit account to ask them to reduce the overpayment repayments. If however they are just saying your not entitled due to income you may be better off on UC, I would be inclined to keep my tax credits claim open and send them proof that hubby's wages were lower maybe bank statements, p60. And proof of your pension payments. I don't trust any of them tax credits or UC they'll tell u ul be better off and then once uve claimed change their minds. The renewal process is a joke and on a whole I can see why UC is much more simple, however when you get into the nitty gritty and it's not a straight forward claim, income changes for example on a regular basis I can imagine it to be a right carry on. My partner is self employed and couldn't think of anything worse than not knowing what payments we would recieve each month depending on his income, then there's the proving how much he's earned I would presume they would want to see a detailed break down of his books every month and in between us both working, looking after the kids and everything else that comes with it, I just wouldn't have the energy or time to have to do that regularly! It may just be me having little faith in the system but can't see anything being straight forward when it comes down to it lol they can't even manage to process a renewal properly let alone do anything else. I'd love to earn enough to not have depend on extra benefits but hey ho some of us just arnt in that position!

SpideyMom · 22/08/2019 20:58

They have to take into account your pension contributions as long as they don't include any employer contributions, and contributions have been taken after your salary has had deductions already made eg. Tax and NI. That was the battle with mine.

My payments eventually changed but I still feel they are wrong. I did email my MP and someone did come back to me saying they had forwarded everything on to TC for an explanation. My MP will love me as I also had to email him again 2 days later with a CMS issue.

I'm sick of struggling and being trapped in these unfair systems