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tax credits

19 replies

cadburys04 · 14/04/2010 11:50

did anyone receive a letter regarding renewal saying to phone specialist team instead of helpline?

OP posts:
tiredemma · 14/04/2010 11:59

yes!

wonder why they are so different?

cadburys04 · 14/04/2010 12:14

no idea. did yours say wait for renewal ack then phone specialist team between 8 and 5?

OP posts:
tiredemma · 14/04/2010 12:15

yep, how cryptic.

cadburys04 · 14/04/2010 12:19

i havent received my renewal pack have you?

OP posts:
tiredemma · 14/04/2010 12:21

no not yet, although I imagine it will follow shortly- it always comes around end of april. im in two minds whether to just phone now and see if I can renew it.

cadburys04 · 14/04/2010 12:24

i might if pack not here in next week or so. let me know if its any different to calling helpline please

OP posts:
tibni · 14/04/2010 19:48

We did a couple of weeks ago.

When we called they said "not another one!" its a tax office rather than a helpline. They were checking they had the correct details for the year. We have had a lot of changes this year so we assumed that was the reason.

snigger · 14/04/2010 19:52

You cannot renew your claim till you've received your pack, as the system won't put your renewal details up till your paperwork's been issued.

Income Support claimants will usually get theirs first, but all packs should be issued by June 30th - if you haven't received one bythen, phone in, but don't phone in too early, you're just clogging up the lines.

tibni · 14/04/2010 21:09

Snigger this letter is not about renewing the claim and it is not the normal tax credit number . It was the Preston tax office rather than a call centre. It was not a low cost number but the letter stated that they could call you back if you requested it.

To be honest I was a little worried when it arrived saying we needed to call a designated number to have our claim checked but it was actually very simple and friendly.

tiredemma · 14/04/2010 21:33

I ahve also had a lot of changes this year, new job etc so assumed it was just to check up on all of that.

tibni · 14/04/2010 22:00

My letter was obviously different you cadburys04 as we didn't have to wait for the renewal pack.

We have both had new jobs plus dh has had redundancy, periods on job seekers so our claim is complicated. Have to say when we called they were very helpful.

gayle123 · 15/04/2010 13:03

Is it just me or does anyone else think that this letter is a fake. I received one today just like everyone else on here. Lets look at the facts;

Everyone has commented on the poor english, grammar and punctuation.
The website is underlined, Microsoft Word does this when return is pressed following the typing of a web address!
Date as post mark???
No spaces between the national insurance number.
Put the phone number in google, nothing. Put any other HMRC phone number into google, loads of pages
The logo has been scanned, look up close and you can see lots of little black dots!
When calling the number, there are people in the back ground, trying to make it sound like a busy office, any other answer phone message for HMRC is silent apart from the speaker.
Atfer listerning the to the answer phone message it sounds like the call has been diverted to a mobile phone's answer phone
I may be being very suspicious, but think of the of the cases in the news about peoples details getting leaked.

Is everyone's letter like this or is it just mine?

Read through all the previous posts with all this in mind and you may see things in a different light.

My theory is the reason they are so friendly to the people that have actually managed to speak to someone is because they are simply after your personal details.

Any thoughts greatfully accepted

gayle123 · 15/04/2010 13:04

check this thread out,

forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=2404215&page=2

tibni · 15/04/2010 17:30

Our number is a 01774 number.

I have found this link www.hmrc.gov.uk/workingtogether/publications/wt-17.htm

my letter does not have any national insurance numbers on it and is addressed to both dh and I.

need to update about a change in circumstances so will mention it when I call.

EmMum06 · 02/07/2010 11:38

i got one of these letters today, i have been on the phone to hmrc on the normal number for ages and no one is giving me any information.

i will update once i get to the bottom of this.

EmMum06 · 02/07/2010 12:05

the letter is genuine, she said they are a pilot scheme to assist with claim. i had a discrepency in my childcare payments, i had not informed them of my dd getting some money off her nursery fee because of the government free nursery place.

i am not too worried all seemed okay.

frangipan · 04/07/2010 21:31

I did, rang them on friday , got straight through and did the renewal, I had to give details of childcare providers to verify costs were correct. The tax credits office rang them to clarify then rang me back to say all was in order. They were very efficient. Mind you, dd's childminder panicked, as when they rang her she heard 'tax office' and not 'tax credits office', bless her!

EmMum06 · 06/07/2010 16:55

i got a call again yesterday although i had already gone through everything with the person on friday. it really shook me up for some reason and i was on the phone to my mum crying that i was probably being investigated (complete over reaction on my part as i have nothing to hide).

luckily mum assured me i was be hysterical for no reason, she also said i was always having guilt pangs when i had never done anything wrong...what a difficult child i must have been.

splitconfused · 11/07/2011 17:41

Good Evening,

can someone help me, i've returned all contracts and letter from childminder the first week in June but I haven't heard anything. Can someone provide me with the full preston telephone number as I can't find anything and Tax Credits helpline refuse to give out the full number :-(

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