Please give some advice really worried i'm being overpaid!!!

JOHNSTONE1

Please can someone give me some advice on my situation! I currently have a single claim for tax credits and child tax credits.

I have a 4 year old son who is in full time nursery which costs £916 a month. I get £861 a month in ctc and wtc because last tax year i only made £13700. I have questioned this several times as it seems an awful lot of money but they have all my details in correctly and say this is correct. I had my estimated earnings for this tax year down as 22k but found out i am getting a taxable bonus of 2k in december so called them up the other week to tell them to put my estimated earning for 08-09 down as 24k which they have done.
This month i have now been paid 2 payments 1 of £861 which i normaly get and another one today of £740. I called them straight up and told them they had made a mistake but they said it was because i called and changed my estimated income for this tax year to 24k and my award had been adjusted accordingly so from now on my payments will be £730 per month and that the payment i got today is correst even though i've been paid twice in a month! Does this sound right i have checked everything and all the info they have on me is correct it just seems like alot of money! Should i put it in savings in case they ask for it back in April?

Also my sone starts school in January so will finish nursery in December i told them this today and he said i should call on his last day and inform them and i will then get paid for a further 4 weeks how can this be correct??

Please help i just wish right now i didnt get anything i dont understand whats going on at all and dont want to be owing them money!! xxxxx

Rikki

Put the money to one side and don't spent it until you are satisfied their calculations are correct. If they've made a mistake the monies there to go back and if its correct then its a bonus for you.

Keep notes of the day, the person you spoke to and the answers to your questions just in case you need to recall when you informed them.

Sorry I can't help with the figures.

alison999

Nothing sounds right when it comes to tax credits lol just keep all paperwork, that way, if they come back to you saying it was a mistake or that you didnt inform them of change of circumstances you can prove that you did. always right down the date and time and who you spoke to when you call. if you can afford to, why not put some of it away as savings?

JOHNSTONE1

Thanks for the advice!! I've only just stopped paying backan overpayment on a mistake they made so really dont want to have to do it again. It seems ridiculous that i got paid more in tax credits this month than i actually earnt in wages!!! Well i 've called up twice today and asked and got the same response both times so i gues i'll just put it in my savings and wait for the letter when they ask for about 10 grand back..... happy days!! x

themull1

Have you tried to put all your details on the tax credit calculator to get a rough idea of what you'll be entitled to? that way you can see if the amounts are nearly the same as what you're currently getting?

Aarons_mummy

You have changed your award so the money you got today is because of that, you'll receive the next installment in 4 weeks rather than on your usual date, because of that there might be a small overpayment but nothing major I would imagine.

I would do as the others have suggested and keep all information, dates and times of phonecalls and also an advisors number so you know exactly who you spoke to. It's a pain but it's worth doing so you have all the information. Anytime I call I take these details down just so I have proof of it all.

themull1

Sorry, just noticed thread is 2008. D'oh.