specialist team for tax credits renewal (merged)

gill2000ste

susan, you do make me laugh hun. I suppose if you didnt this whole load of crap that they have caused would crack you up totally.. xxxx

lindyloo77

Been trying the helpline for a few days and not getting any help, just been told it's taken a few weeks. Tried today and the automated voice says it can take up to 6 week to process a renewal. It's been much longer than that for us and had no contact from them at all. I'm worried about an overpayment as our earnings where more than we'd estimated, but they're taking so long to process it, the overpayment is going to get bigger. Any advice on what I should do would be appreciated???

SusanM_3

Hi Lindyloo, it's awful isn't it? Personally, I'd do what I've done and put your complaint in writing. Keep to the facts of what has happened so far, phone calls made and what you have been told. I think I mentioned further back that 5 yrs ago they messed my renewal up completely. Stopped my payments without telling me. Many phone calls and letters got me nowhere. I got the help of my MP and it went to the Parliamentary & Health Service Ombudsman. I ended up with them paying me £90 in compensation. This included cost of telephone calls, letters, bank charges and money for the length of time they took in sorting out the problem. It was their fault as they had put my bank account number incorrectly! It took them 7 months to sort out!!

If you do a letter, send a copy to your MP. If still no joy then ask your MP to help. You can find your MP here http://findyourmp.parliament.uk/ If MP gets no joy that's when it goes to the Ombudsman. They help people who haven't been treated properly or have received poor service. Why should we put up with this shambles?

I was so tempted to put in my letter to Tax Credits the following......
"please pass my complaint onto whoever is dealing with my award, by means of smoke signal, carrier pigeon or ouija board. If I should receive a speedy reply, then rest assured I will try to get your achievement recognised by Guinness World Records"

MYDOGCRYSTAL

I ended up writing to my Mp about several errors made by tax credits to me last year and I still had to pay for them even though i had letters to rpove I had informed them of changes which they didnt action, no idea what the outcome will be. With regard to self employemtn went to inland revenue office they saw us in 45 mins took self assessment backdate and told us that earnings should be divided into average hours over year as if youve earned income self employed you should get WTC, with tax credits cant get anywhere as they seem to want to take my self employed earnings to count as income but not let me have WTC??

I give up

SusanM_3

Mydogcrystal, if you have a Welfare Rights office near you, it might be worth you asking them about this. Here's a link for you http://www.welfarerights.net/home.php

mjl7972

I have been browsing this thread and have been contacting the main helpline number for several weeks now just to be told there is a hold up in processing.

I tried one of the numbers given for the specialist team 0845 300 5044 and got straight through to someone who explained to me that my claim was with the A.D.E (adult disabilty element) team and they would be writing to me within a couple of weeks. I asked for the telephone number but he said he did not have it. Does anyone here know the number????
I am only worried because I underestimated my earnings for last year by a good few thousand and know that once the claim is finalised I should get a few hundred pounds back, I am going on a camping holiday in the next couple of weeks and would love to be able to spoil my kids a bit!!

Thanks in advance for any help you may give.

Mark

lindyloo77

Hi mjl7972
I think I might try that number, i've not had any luck with the main helpline either. Never heard of the A.D.E team before. I take it youve been getting the disability element ?? How long ago did you renew your claim.

sillyme08

mjl7972 wrote: »

I have been browsing this thread and have been contacting the main helpline number for several weeks now just to be told there is a hold up in processing.

I tried one of the numbers given for the specialist team 0845 300 5044 and got straight through to someone who explained to me that my claim was with the A.D.E (adult disabilty element) team and they would be writing to me within a couple of weeks. I asked for the telephone number but he said he did not have it. Does anyone here know the number????
I am only worried because I underestimated my earnings for last year by a good few thousand and know that once the claim is finalised I should get a few hundred pounds back, I am going on a camping holiday in the next couple of weeks and would love to be able to spoil my kids a bit!!

Thanks in advance for any help you may give.

Mark

Hi Mark,

I have now been waiting 13 weeks and when I speak to the main number, I am told there is nothing on my file, is this the same with you?? and what is this disability team? do you claim disability?

Do you think it would be worth me calling the specialist team?

mjl7972

lindyloo77 wrote: »

I take it youve been getting the disability element ?? How long ago did you renew your claim.

Yes I have been getting the disabled element of working tax credit for a few years now, I renewed on 25/5/10.


Mark

mjl7972

sillyme08 wrote: »

Hi Mark,

I have now been waiting 13 weeks and when I speak to the main number, I am told there is nothing on my file, is this the same with you?? and what is this disability team? do you claim disability?

Do you think it would be worth me calling the specialist team?

All I was ever told was that the claim was being processed and that I would just have to wait:mad:
I do not have a clue who/what the A.D.E team is/are but if I can get the number I will try and find out some more.

Mark