specialist team for tax credits renewal (merged)

Angel1978_2

I've just rang up the main helpline number and he said the specialist renewals team hadn't finalised my award yet and it is likely that they need more information. Now i've not received a letter from a specialist renewals team. I don't mind but mine is now being held up because the team needs to deal with it, and i've not got contact details for them. He said he couldn't put me through to them.

He also (rather worryingly) said there was no timescale on these. Just as and when!

Witter

So do you renew through specalist line? And are they still paying you from the date you renewed till they award for this year? They seem to of sent these letters to working mum causeing all this worrying for people who already have enough to do working and looking after children.

sjje

ellasmummy wrote: »

hi sjje i was told same thing that mine was on a worklist and provisional payments for 2010/2011 were on screen but not been finalised yet, just wondering have you been contacted by them or have you phoned back again to check has it been finalised yet?

Hi, I rang this morning to enquire as to whether it had been finalised yet, to which I was told no. Again told me there is no time scale on this as it is on a worklist as I renewed through the mainline not the specialist line. Very abruptly told that I had already been told this information and my payments would continue as usual (as per provisional award) until renewal when they may change again.
Given that the letter from the specialist department said it was to help people renew who may be confused by the system, I think this has caused much more confusion. I feel like I am being punished by not renewing through the specialist line directly, even though the mainline took the details and assured me it was fine as I could not get a answer on the number on the letter. It seems very unfair to be told there is no time limit on renewal if it is put on a worklist? However, as I do not like being spoken to like a naughty child I will not ring again but sit back and wait until either I receive the awards or my payments change. As much as I hate not to have every penny counted in and out, and to know exactly where we stand, I hate feeling like a nusiense even more!:(

Pinkpigg

ellasmummy wrote: »

hi angel1978 and pinkpigg would you post when you get payments into bank or award notices as i renewed 2 days after both of you and that might give me an idea about mine thanks. every other year its sorted when i phone up after 2 days so that would be friday for me but goin by the posts on here its taking longer for most people this year.

To let you know, I have just checked my bank online a few moments ago and I have had an extra Child Tax Credit Payment go in today. I am hoping this means my award has all been sorted out - I am hoping they would not be putting extra money in my account otherwise!!!! As soon as I receive my award notice I will let you know. Hopes yours is sorted soon x

Angel1978_2

Thanks for letting us know Pinkpigg. Doesn't look like mine is going to get sorted any time soon. I rang this morning and the guy just spouted something about the specialist team needing to check details (I haven't had a letter from the specialist team at all). I dunno, it's all stress now.

Pinkpigg

Angel1978: Have you checked if any extra payments have gone into your bank?? I can't work out if mine has all been sorted of if this is a provisional payment re a provisional award and mine is yet to be done. I have not received any paperwork yet! I have phoned my sister in law who also received a specialist renewal letter but renewed via the main number - she has not received anything at all yet?? Its all very worrying and unneccessary - the Tax Credits could easily have avoided causing all this undue stress if they did things right in the first place!! They getting me really annoyed now! Let me know when yours is all sorted. I have not phoned the helpline back yet, I just have not got time at the minute - no news is good news and am of the opinion that if for one minute they thought there was something not right with my claim then they would not be making extra payments to my bank.

ellasmummy_2

thanks for replying sjje and pinkpigg. i,m not gonna phone again and get told off lol just gonna keep an eye on bank each day for any changes and hopefully some day next week it,ll be done. let u know when theres any news

Angel1978_2

Pinkpigg: yeah I checked this morning. I got my usual payment through which is a good thing! I just want it all sorted now. I've heard so many horror stories that I guess i've been lucky up till now. It seems I have to wait for a letter to come through. Whenever that deems fit to plonk on my door! The problem remains that we get conflicting advice from all the advisors. I think i'm just going to try and forget about it for a while and hopefully they will be in contact soon so I can get it sorted. The bank holiday is going to push everything back though so i'm probably looking at the latter end of next week now!

Witter

Hiya pinkpigg, did you renew through main number or specalist number? And how long has it took to make a payment to you on new award?

Pinkpigg

Witter wrote: »

Hiya pinkpigg, did you renew through main number or specalist number? And how long has it took to make a payment to you on new award?

Althought having received one of these renewal specialist letters I renewed via the main number, mainly because 8am-5pm is not a convenient time frame for me to be making any phone calls. I rung Monday at 5.30pm and today a payment has gone in to my bank which is in addition to my normal payment that went in on Wednesday as usual. I have not received any notifications/award notices yet so don't know if my renewal has been finalised or whether this payment is due to a provisional award etc. Initially when I phoned to question the renewal specialist letter the normal helpline knew nothing of the letters and advised me to ring the normal helpline and were putting a note on my file to confirm what they had advised me to do.