Overpayment due to TC wrong info

Teresita_2

I recently phoned the Tax Credits helpline on 3 occasions to verify which amount on other halfs wage slip to use as income for tax credit purposes as there had been a change in circumstances. One day I actually phoned back the min I had put the receiver down to double check as I didnt think it was accurate info they had given me but they assusred me the figure they told me to take was right.

Low and behold on doing my annual declaration they were wrong all along and now we are £3K over what we said the earnings would be and looking at them claiming money baack for something I feel is their fault.

Is there anything I can do, complain??? They say things are reciorded for training purposes so would they be able to listen back to the conversations to find out they gave me the wrong info.:eek:

On looking at the annual delaration pack they say there can be no appeal as all the info was an estimate but I actually changed the amounts on the last wage slip of the year so the info was accurate to what they asked me to give.

Am so confused as the last thing I need is for them to want money back.

Any help much appreciated.

T

Fran

I'm not sure what your saying here.... if you phoned them recently they would have been working from the figures you gave them over the last year up until April 06. Or are you talking about the present year? Are you saying that there amounts are wrong or that you think you've had bad advice?

Teresita_2

Basically it was for the year ended March 2006. And for bad advise they gave me. I.e I phoned and asked what figures I should take from wage slip and they told me the wrong ones.

Fran

You say it was the last wage slip of the year that you changed, ie in March (?) - did he earn 3K in a month? I don't see where the 3K has come from - do you think the figure is wrong?

First contact them and ask for a detailed explanation of how it's been worked out, keep a note of the time/date.

If you think it's their error, you can ask them to consider only recovering part or writing it off. You can ask them on the phone for the form or get it from the HMRC website.

matto

I'm not quite sure what you're getting at either but...

You should have just given them your exact earnings for last year (April 2005-March 2006). Using this information they will have calculated exactly what you were entitled to.

When did you other half's circumstance change?

donnalove

i think wot the op is saying is she has given oh income details on nett pay rather than gross pay. this is where the overpayment will arise.

if this information was given by the tax credit office then you need to write or ring the sar unit in newcastle and ask for copies off the phone conversations yourself as i have found just asking them to listen a waste of time as they won't but if they know you have copies then they wil have to.

make sure you ask for copies for the whole 2005-2006 period and then you will have to go through all of them to find the conversations you want(the cd's do not come through dated they are mixed up).

matto

But they just use the figures you give them. If you give them the wrong figure they use the wrong figure.

OP has quoted a figure of 3k but is not clear where this comes from. Is this the difference between the estimate at the beginning of the year and the final figure? Is it the difference between this years estimate and last years final figure?

If it is the difference between what was estimated at the beginning of the year and the final figure then unless they are on a very low income seems they've done a reasonable job, particularly as OPs OH seems to have had a change in circumstances.

Teresita_2

It was both circumstances that changed mine and OH he had a decrease in wages and a change of job. They told me where to look for the figure and which one to use as it was his last wage slip of the year. As it turns out they told me to use one set of figures which was his earnings from current employer but there is another figure on the wage slip which is year to date earnings (which should have been used). They are called something completely different on his wage slip thus the need to phone and ask. My concern is that 3 different people specifically told me to use the figures I did even when I queried using the higher figure.

Sorry to ramble.

T

fatblokexl

the only figure you should be asked for is YOUR estimate of the income you and your partner may earn in the year.
this should always be gross (before deductions)
and ideally should allow for any changes in circumstances and adjusted accordingly on a pro rata basis.

i.e originally started tax year in a job paying £18000, then 5mths later into a job paying £14000.

£18000 / 12 = £1500pm x 5mths = £7500
£14000 / 12 = £1166pm x 7mths = £8166

added together, the p60 should reflect a gross inc of £15666.
same principle applies if income increases.

only you can give these figures the helpline are not obliged to calculate this figure for you as mistakes can happen.

as part of a dispute in relation to overpayments, clearly state on the COP26

you wish to dispute due to misadvice, giving times/dates/names to assist them in tracking the call and they can review it.

initially they may say you were aware of the income they used and were happy to accept the money, but do persist.