Tax credit letter

blue_mum

Hi , I wondered if anyone else has had a letter headed Re: Keeping your tax credits payments right is important. and asking to call a different tax credit tel no. (Monday to Friday only!)

I called the normal number to ask what it was all about as I only renewed my tax credits a month ago with best figures I could give for income this year and all the correct information for last year. She said it is a new pilot department that has been set up to make sure people are receiving the right amount of money (surely that is what the original department should be doing) and certain people who fit a criteria are being contacted. It has completely confused me as I really do not know what they need to know. I've all ready told them everything I know.

The only thing I can think of is that my wages in the last tax year had risen due to getting a lovely bonus from the government for training for new qualifications at work I did not get this until my March wage slip so hence I could not update my tax credits as quickly as I normally do. I am aware that I will get another bonus from the government this year so I have added that into my estimated earnings this year.

I regularly work out if our wages may be more and always call to update, So they will have a good history that I have always been in touch.

I hate all this business with the tax credits it is such a worry seeing all the news article etc regarding over payments I always check the information is correct in the letters they send and always call up if I think something is wrong. Perhaps I shouldn't do that ! I wish now I did not rely so much on the 4 weekly payments we have.

Can anyone shed some light as to what this department really want to know, that could be so different to the original tax credit helpline.

Blue

3onitsway

I had a similar letter a while back - to phone a different number Monday to Friday. They just asked about my childcare and if I had any changes?!? I didn't (or i'd have already told them!), and that was the end of it.

Me thinks they have a pile of staff that they don't know what to do with, so the set up a special department to send out useless letters and answers useless phone calls. :rotfl:

I've had a letter from them this morning, saying that DWP have told them that I received DLA for XXXXXX. As we are in receipt of DLA for XXXXXX we are entitled to the disability element of child tax credits. They will send me a new award.
As far as I know, we've always received this anyway - at least it says we do on my notifications.

I always worry about anything to do with Tax Credits because of their history of balls ups! I expect one day to receive a letter stating 'due to an error, i owe them 10 million, please pay in 7 days!' :rotfl:

blue_mum

Thank you, She did mention childcare costs on the phone and I told her I did not pay any anymore and my awards show that too !!

We do have DLA for my son but also get that element too in the tax credits.

Think they must be trying to create jobs for people then .

I think that letter/phone call is what I've been waiting for as well ' Dear Mrs ..... you owe us a million pounds due to an error' !!!

I'm so inpatient and want to call them now to find then out what they want !

sexandthecity

Hello

I had one of these letters too, was it a number in Preston ?

Try not to worry as the woman on the phone said they are mainly just checking through childcare claims, the woman I spoke to was nice and once we'd had a chat she told me to forget the letter and chuck it in the bin.

Apparently these were sent out at the wrong time as I had literally done my renewal a week before, she apologised and said it made them look incompetent (which it did)

I then had a phone call asking why I hadnt rang in response to the letter, to which I said I did then he apologised. !!!!!! talk about left hand doesnt know what the right hand is doing !

As someone on here mentioned, the TCO seem so inept at times its always a worry that they will make a boo boo and start demanding money, its a sad state of affairs that a department that was set up to help people makes them reluctant to accept what is due to them in case they screw it up and then start chasing them for it.

Dont worry about the letter though its really nothing to lose any sleep over