tax credits bit complicated

[Deleted User]

No, they will not use the payments from your new claim to clear off an overpayment from a previous claim.

It will still be up to you to make sure that direct payments are made towards the overpayment.

banana1975

Another question. I have just called the Tax Credit helpline as realised that I forgot to enter CB number as did not have it to hand at the time. However they have advised me that they have not received my claim yet. I posted it off a week ago yesterday. They state that it can take up to 2 weeks to get onto the system. As I struggle to believe anything that they say is this correct or should I be asking for a new claim pack and repeat the application?

DreamerV

What they're saying is correct. They don't, popular to contrary belief, set out to give wrong advice (not worth their jobs, and quality is checked). TCO (tax credit office) aim to have the claim on the system within 2 weeks. It's only been a week, and usually a claim wouldn't be on system yet. The TCO once the application is physically received have to put the claim on the system through a rapid data capture system (might have to be manaually read if anything illegible)...until that is done, advisers can't see it. That's why it can take up to that long. If you phone 2 weeks after you sent it, if the claim is not there, that person can send off a tracing referral to try to find it. If you phone, and it has only be a week...and get another form and fill it in, if you then have 2 claims on the system, one which will have to be withdrawn, this might kick up far more problems. Phone them when it's been 2 weeks and give them the child benefit number and ask if there are any verification failures on the award at that point