Four week run on of WFTC

KatieShopstoomuch

Hi there, i got a letter to say i was entitled to get a 4 week run on of tax credits, as i have stopped work. They said payment due on 20th October, Does anybody know if this is paid into your registered bank account with them or by cheque in post?

TIA

Silly_Cow

Hi,

I rang them last week to tell them I'd stopped working and they said that my WTC run on payment would be posted out as a giro.

Don't know why though

HTH

KatieShopstoomuch

Maybe they will post a giro on 20th then, I just worried as the envelope was open but if there was a giro in it then i'm sure the letter would have said so. Just wondered, i didn't even know people could get it until i was on the phone to them.

System

Don't expect to receive it on time. The 4 week run on payment system is a mess. TCO regularly take ages to process it and whilst you are waiting on it your claims for other benefits such as Income Support and Housing Benefit are delayed.

This is because of several things including delays in DWP informing TCO that you are trying to claim benefits and the fact that the run on payments are manually calculated rather than being automatically generated by the computer system.

If it looks like you are going to be one of the unfortunate ones hanging on for ages then contact your MP and get them to pester TCO via the MP's priority line.

KatieShopstoomuch

Yeah i didn't expect anything quick as they tend to be useless, or maybe that's just my luck! Heres hopeing it all goes smoothly !

SuziQ

Not everyone waits ages in this situation-less than 2 weeks for me.Took longer for CTB as I had to present proof of IS so couldn't claim until IS up and running,just wanted to be fair as I expect most people with a good experience don't post and then it appears EVERYONE gets a poor service.

elektra-2007

I rang them every other day to speed them up and told them i couldnt have income support until it was sorted...took about 3 weeks then it came as a giro with a printed slip saying how much it was for. If your gona claim benefits do it now then you can do a rapid re-claim.

System

SuziQ wrote: »

Not everyone waits ages in this situation-less than 2 weeks for me.Took longer for CTB as I had to present proof of IS so couldn't claim until IS up and running,just wanted to be fair as I expect most people with a good experience don't post and then it appears EVERYONE gets a poor service.

Your right SuziQ it doesn't go wrong for everyone and perhaps I could have worded my post a little better. However I have dealt with several cases in the last few months where claimants have waited more than 4 weeks for this payment and have been placed in dire straights having been threatened with eviction because they have not had enough money to pay their rent or mortgage.
This was due to failed communication between DWP and TCO and a backlog of cases being handled by TCO. HMRC Enquiry Centre staff have had their hands tied having being told that hardship payments are NOT to be issued to claimants waiting for the run on payments. The only thing that we have been able to do is issue letters directed to landlords and mortgage providers explaining the situation and asking them to cut the claimants some slack.

My fear is that given the current crisis more people will lose their jobs, become entitled to the run on payment and the system will fall apart.