Tax Credits Post - Anyone else being bombarded?

hotblu

Hotblu - With the paperwork in front of me, I can assure you that they are in fact duplicates. I am aware of why I have been sent the correspondence and understand that I should receive it for the previous TY. I'm just saying that I'm not happy with the duplicates of letters and leaflets.

"I will take your word for it that they are duplicates, but that means you are missing copies of your finalised award notices..."

As far as the the leaflets - just because a computer generates them doesn't make it correct in my eyes. It's clearly a waste of resources if something is being printed to send to customers several times over. And I don't just mean financial resources...what about the waste of paper?

"I didn't say that the computer generating leaflets makes it right- I said it would cost more to send just one copy of the leaflet in your circumstances- therefore making it financial sense. It's not a waste of resources, their are a number of claimants with incorrect details on their award and if that leaflet/checklist can help that is not a waste- it's a help. Also, you could always keep a copy and shred and recycle the rest."

If it is a legal obligation to send out award notices to both parties in tax credts then why is this not the case for Housing benefit say? I on ly receive one letter from them despite a joint claim.

"I dont claim/work for housing benefit so couldn't tell you why they send one benefits letter. I was merely pointing TCO reason for issuing an award notice each is due to legal obligation."

Clearly, I am not the only one frustrated by this,

"Again, I didn't aim the reply at yourself. I used you as an axample. I am sure their a quite a few people who are frustrated by this, but surely a small price to pay to recieve CTC and WTC benefits."

Hotblu

alison999

i just keep the copy where it says what my payments will be, so its easy to find and i know where im at. i dont have space for the amazon rain forest in my house

welshnoonoo

hotblu wrote: »

Finally I have a question to all the replies... how many of you have sat down (or stood up lol) and gone through your award notices using the checklist to make sure all details are correct and up to date?

Um, yes - when I received a set of duplicates a few days later I checked them and they had the old, incorrect, information on. I rang the TCO and they told me "not to worry" that the correct ones were the first ones I received. I pointed out that the second and incorrect set had a later serial number on them but I was again told "not to worry".

Following an investigation into me by them - it transpired that I had indeed every reason to worry because the blithering idiots had a problem with their computer system and that the information had indeed reverted back to the old information and was wrong resulting in an overpayment.

Also - the award notices do not give you a full account of the information they have such as the name of your childcare provider which in my case was wrong, but I did not know it was wrong because as far as I was concerned I had given them the right one.

I have done everything asked of me by the TCO and still they over pay and get it wrong.

I know of people who have telephoned them having checked their award notices to see if it is correct that they are entitled to the monies stated, been told that yes indeed it is correct only to then be told a while afterwards that it was incorrect and they now want their money back.

If a business ran the way the TCO does it would be out of business! It is disgusting that they get away with being so incompetent. Even the woman who runs my child's out of school club said to me on the phone today "If only they knew the devastation they are bringing on families". :mad:

Rant over

Chazpots

Thanks for your reply Hotblu

"I will take your word for it that they are duplicates, but that means you are missing copies of your finalised award notices..."

Not sure why I would be missing finalised award notices - I’ve received those. I satisfied that my claim and details are all up to date. That’s not my point here.

"I didn't say that the computer generating leaflets makes it right- I said it would cost more to send just one copy of the leaflet in your circumstances- therefore making it financial sense. It's not a waste of resources, their are a number of claimants with incorrect details on their award and if that leaflet/checklist can help that is not a waste- it's a help. Also, you could always keep a copy and shred and recycle the rest."

I have not questioned the benefits of the leaflets themselves. They are essential, I have no issues with that. But one will do! And of course, I recycle the extras - wouldn’t be right to have a moan about the environmental implications then chuck them in the bin! However, I do personally feel that anything that is not needed is a waste.

"I dont claim/work for housing benefit so couldn't tell you why they send one benefits letter. I was merely pointing TCO reason for issuing an award notice each is due to legal obligation."

I don’t doubt that there is a legal requirement and I’m sure the TCO have their reasons. Just pointing out that if other Gov Depts don’t see it necessary why should they be any different. It’s not as if the personal info is kept separate. They are both the same. Perhaps I‘m (and others that I have spoken to about this) missing something. I do not believe that the Government are infallible, they make mistakes like all of us.

Again, I didn't aim the reply at yourself. I used you as an axample. I am sure their a quite a few people who are frustrated by this, but surely a small price to pay to recieve CTC and WTC benefits."

I don’t take your replies personally. I am pleased for the discussion Hotblu! As for the small price to pay - well I don’t agree. I feel we all deserve a certain standard of service from the Government, regardless of circumstances and should always have the right to express our opinions.

All the best,
Chaz

hotblu

Hey All,

I have given you the reason for the award notices etc. Can't really do more than that. Got a feeling if I carry on given responses individually we will be going off in different directions, for example overpayments... and I haven't got the energy for that one today lol.

Hotblu

alison999

welshnoonoo wrote: »

If a business ran the way the TCO does it would be out of business! It is disgusting that they get away with being so incompetent. Even the woman who runs my child's out of school club said to me on the phone today "If only they knew the devastation they are bringing on families". :mad:

Rant over

i agree but without them id be up !!!!!! creek without a pasddle. im very grateful for them even if they do get messed up, we're all human and ive worked with rubbish computers, its prob. out of the hands of the people you talk to on the 'help line', theyre just doin their job

hotblu

alison999 wrote: »

i agree but without them id be up !!!!!! creek without a pasddle. im very grateful for them even if they do get messed up, we're all human and ive worked with rubbish computers, its prob. out of the hands of the people you talk to on the 'help line', theyre just doin their job

Took the words out of my mouth.

welshnoonoo

alison999 wrote: »

i agree but without them id be up !!!!!! creek without a pasddle. im very grateful for them even if they do get messed up, we're all human and ive worked with rubbish computers, its prob. out of the hands of the people you talk to on the 'help line', theyre just doin their job

I agree with you regarding the poor soles who work in the TCO helpline office - I wouldn't do their job for all the money in the world.

But I am still up !!!!!! creek because the system has led me there. I would have preferred to struggle without it and at least not have been in debt to the Inland Revenue! I have tried to come out of the WFTC system, but I can't cos if I do I would have to pay back everything in one lump sum which I can't afford to do.

They are telling me that one year I was awarded over £13K! That's over £1000 a month! That would have been lovely - could've bought a new house - but wrong, wrong, wrong!

I have even considered taking out a loan in order to get out of the system cos the stress caused by it is just too much.

I think the problem is that no matter what you say, if the computer says "No" then that is that so when I ring and say, "but I told you that information last time" they say "The computer says No", even though I have a piece of paper from them clearly stating that they have been told. Where's the sense in that? The poor person on the end of the phone staring at the (next to useless) computer screen can't do anything they are powerless and so am I hence the frustration.

What a day!

hotblu

I agree with you regarding the poor soles who work in the TCO helpline office - I wouldn't do their job for all the money in the world.

I am not a poor sole and don't need any sympathy for the job I do (I actually enjoy it- albeit the management could treat us a little better)

But I am still up !!!!!! creek because the system has led me there. I would have preferred to struggle without it and at least not have been in debt to the Inland Revenue! I have tried to come out of the WFTC system, but I can't cos if I do I would have to pay back everything in one lump sum which I can't afford to do.

If you are in a joint claim call up and tell them that you and your partner have split up and when they say they will transfer you t make a new application, just ask them to send the pack and don't fill it in. Or if you are single say that your partner has moved in, they will send out an application pack, again don't fill it in. When asked for a date give todays... therefore no overpayment

They are telling me that one year I was awarded over £13K! That's over £1000 a month! That would have been lovely - could've bought a new house - but wrong, wrong, wrong!

Would like to help you with this, but don't know all the circumstances so wouldn't really be able to comment. Also, their could be number of reasons that impact the reason for the overpayment

I have even considered taking out a loan in order to get out of the system cos the stress caused by it is just too much.

I think the problem is that no matter what you say, if the computer says "No" then that is that so when I ring and say, "but I told you that information last time" they say "The computer says No", even though I have a piece of paper from them clearly stating that they have been told. Where's the sense in that? The poor person on the end of the phone staring at the (next to useless) computer screen can't do anything they are powerless and so am I hence the frustration.

What a day!

welshnoonoo

hotblu wrote: »

I
But I am still up !!!!!! creek because the system has led me there. I would have preferred to struggle without it and at least not have been in debt to the Inland Revenue! I have tried to come out of the WFTC system, but I can't cos if I do I would have to pay back everything in one lump sum which I can't afford to do.

If you are in a joint claim call up and tell them that you and your partner have split up and when they say they will transfer you t make a new application, just ask them to send the pack and don't fill it in. Or if you are single say that your partner has moved in, they will send out an application pack, again don't fill it in. When asked for a date give todays... therefore no overpayment

But that would be a lie. There is no way I am going down that road.

The overpayment I am talking about is one accrued from 2005/2006 & 2006/2007! They have told me that if I opt out of the WFTC system, I will have to pay it back in one lump sum rather than have it deducted in instalments as they do at the moment so that problem would still stand.

hotblu wrote: »

They are telling me that one year I was awarded over £13K! That's over £1000 a month! That would have been lovely - could've bought a new house - but wrong, wrong, wrong!

Would like to help you with this, but don't know all the circumstances so wouldn't really be able to comment. Also, their could be number of reasons that impact the reason for the overpayment

Don't worry, I wouldn't expect anyone to be able to help with this! Afterall, the WFTC have all the information in front of them and they can't help so there is no way anyone else will be able to lol!

I am going to go through my bank statements for that period and add up exactly what payments I received. The problem is I took them at their word. They told me that they had paid me this amount of money and I just accepted it thinking about it I think I would have known if I had received over £1000 a month extra in my bank.