Child Tax Credits - Stopped.

Munzz · 30 May 2017 at 9:58AM

Hi All,

I received a letter last week to advise that my child tax credit payments have now been stopped due to a change in responsibility of child.

There has been no change in responsibility, my son has lived with me for the past year and that is still the case. I claim the child benefit and his Mother pays me CSA payments. She has not had him overnight during this period and sees him a couple of times a month.

I have been advised I need to complete a "mandatory reconsideration" form of which I shall do.

Now, what is the likelihood of receiving my payment as expected whilst this is all being processed, or being backdated?

Do you have any further suggestions as to how I can prove residence and that I am entitled to the Child Tax Credits?

Thank you.

pmlindyloo · 30 May 2017 at 10:19AM

Are you receiving Child Benefit for your child?

Are you sure that the mother of your child hasn't put in a claim for CB or CTC for your child?

Or is claiming that the child lives with her?

Sorry, see you are receiving child benefit but questions still stand.

DigForVictory · 30 May 2017 at 10:20AM

Quite a lot depends on *why* the system reckons there's been a change in responsibility but to speed things along, go directly to your used-to-be MP & plead for help.

Of course do the mandatory reconsideration thing as well, mentioning that you've not enough to feed the child with whilst this is being sorted & hope it's backdated but definitely get an MP into play too.
As someone should be getting a cheque, but it doesn't sound like it'll be you.

If residence hasn't changed, then child will be at same school, & any childcare, registered with same GP & dentist, & there will be blinking obviously no changes so it's easy enough to check.

How much you get back will depend on how this gaffe started.

pmlindyloo · 30 May 2017 at 10:33AM

I suspect that going to the 'used to be MP' won't work at this particular stage of the election campaigns..

You could try asking CAB to telephone on your behalf to find out what the problem is. Until you know exactly what the problem is then it is difficult to know how to proceed.

As regards the MR you could show your council tax bill as proof of residency and your bank statements showing CB and child support being paid into your account. Also, a letter from your ex confirming that the child is living with you.

PS. They won't pay you whilst it is being investigated but if the decision is changed then it should be backdated to when it stopped.

Darksparkle · 30 May 2017 at 10:46AM

Have you actually called and asked them why? That should be the first step.

Munzz · 30 May 2017 at 11:30AM

pmlindyloo wrote: »

Are you receiving Child Benefit for your child?

Are you sure that the mother of your child hasn't put in a claim for CB or CTC for your child?

Or is claiming that the child lives with her?

Sorry, see you are receiving child benefit but questions still stand.

After having a conversation with her, she claims she has indicated my son is living with her 50% of the time but this is NOT the case. I am unsure if she has claimed for CB or CTC but assume she has.

DigForVictory wrote: »

Quite a lot depends on *why* the system reckons there's been a change in responsibility but to speed things along, go directly to your used-to-be MP & plead for help.

Of course do the mandatory reconsideration thing as well, mentioning that you've not enough to feed the child with whilst this is being sorted & hope it's backdated but definitely get an MP into play too.
As someone should be getting a cheque, but it doesn't sound like it'll be you.

If residence hasn't changed, then child will be at same school, & any childcare, registered with same GP & dentist, & there will be blinking obviously no changes so it's easy enough to check.

How much you get back will depend on how this gaffe started.

Thanks, I will see what an MP can offer. Fortunately I can also prove all registrations.

pmlindyloo wrote: »

I suspect that going to the 'used to be MP' won't work at this particular stage of the election campaigns..

You could try asking CAB to telephone on your behalf to find out what the problem is. Until you know exactly what the problem is then it is difficult to know how to proceed.

As regards the MR you could show your council tax bill as proof of residency and your bank statements showing CB and child support being paid into your account. Also, a letter from your ex confirming that the child is living with you.

PS. They won't pay you whilst it is being investigated but if the decision is changed then it should be backdated to when it stopped.

Thanks for the information, I will try CAB today.

Darksparkle wrote: »

Have you actually called and asked them why? That should be the first step.

Yes, she claims that she has told HMRC we operate a 50:50 split, this is NOT the case.

Darksparkle · 30 May 2017 at 11:32AM

Normal process in that situation would be for HMRC to write to both parties and ask questions to confirm who is the main carer. Did HMRC write to you with these questions?

Munzz · 30 May 2017 at 11:55AM

Darksparkle wrote: »

Normal process in that situation would be for HMRC to write to both parties and ask questions to confirm who is the main carer. Did HMRC write to you with these questions?

Hi,

I received a letter stating that main responsibility had changed and I need to complete a mandatory reconsideration form to dispute.

The letter also said "As you have failed to reply to our enquiries we have based our decision on information available to us at the time". I have received no correspondence as claimed otherwise I would have acted accordingly.

Darksparkle · 30 May 2017 at 1:02PM

So likely they have issued you with this letter and you haven't received it for whatever reason. Unless it's returned to then by Royal Mail they'll assume you received it and didn't reply and that's why it's now been stopped.

Mandatory reconsideration would be the next step.

avirgo · 9 June 2017 at 10:44AM

hi,

im going through the same thing at the moment , I have my tribunal hearing today after 8 months of waiting, I haven't had a tax credits payment since 25/10/2016 and on the verge of losing my job and house as im struggling to pay for childcare and rent so im hoping today everything goes well!

I first received a letter from tax credits in august last year advising another claim was put through and was asked to fill a rival claims form and send documents to prove responsibility, I sent school and medical documents along with the form and never heard nothing back until end of October when I was told my tax credits was stopped and been transferred, I knew right away they had been transferred to my sons father as we were currently in legal battles for residency and custody.

I then called and was told to do a mandatory consideration form which I filled and then also sent letters from social services who stated my child was in my care and had no contact with father due to domestic violence etc, then in December I was told HMRC would not be changing their decision as they feel I don't have responsibility for him!! as you can imagine I was fuming about this given how much evidence I had sent in, I then began the appeal process in January alongside also attending court for custody and struggling financially and having to worry about childcare while at work iv have never been so stressed!

I sent my appeal in on 3rd January and was told they have up to 17 weeks to give a tribunal date, I kept sending in documents from the court stating my sons father was to not have contact or remove my child from my care and letters upon letters then comes to april, 17 weeks has come and gone and still no court date I was ringing the appeals team everyday sometimes breaking down to them as I have been threatened with eviction and displinery action at work , I was then told to put in writing to request an urgent hearing which I done then 2 weeks later I was told a urgent hearing was granted and would get the next available date... I heard nothing back till mid may and was told my hearing would be at 2pm on 9/6/2017.

if this is urgent to them I can only imagine what normal waiting times would be!!

so im armed with 100+ pages of evidence and letters and really hoping this gets sorted today as I cant believe HMRC are allowed to get away with this, with the files they sent the form from my childs father is included that he filled and he has not sent in a ounce of evidence to support his claims so how they transferred the tax credits to him I don't know, I have since won full residency and custody of my child and also sent the court order to them for that but I still don't have much hope.

I hope you don't go through what I have as its awful!

im also hoping to be backdated from October. I will update later once I have left the hearing.

Child Tax Credits - Stopped.

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