Basically tax credits have messed up (suprise) and paid me an over payment for the past 3 years despite the fact that they've been paying me for most of it.
Last week they told me that £10k would be put into my account on Monday. I said this was wrong so she said she'd try and stop it but it still may go in.
Anyway, I phoned a few days later and she said some of it has been recalled...so I said fine.
Anyway, today I checked my bank and almost had a heart attack...£10k has been put in and it's not even waiting for clearance, it actually says "available to spend".
Now, obviously I'm not going to go and spend it but about £1k of this is actually owed to me however I'm worried that I go and spend £1k and then they take the full lot out of my bank and leave me overdrawn.
So, can they actually take the money out themselves now that it's there? or would they have to actually ask for it back?
What is likely to happen now? I'm assuming they will just work out how much I am actually owed and take the rest back but this is surely too simple for them.
Has anyone been in this situation?