specialist team for tax credits renewal (merged)

suziedoc70

Hi, I am completely new to this forum but I thought I'd post so I could warn other people about what has happened to me.

I June 2009 I received a letter from tax credits asking that I call them so they could go through all the information I had orginially given them at the start of the 2009/2010. I called and everything was correct and I forgot about it.

A couple of weeks ago I got another letter asking that I call a specific number when I ring in my final figures, this needed to be after I received my renewal pack, I received the renewal pack on Tuesday and as I had all the information I called.

Everthing was going fine until I gave the figures for what we had earned - £31798, the lady said that the amount I had originally estimated was actually £26001, therefore I had under-estimated by £5000ish. Immediately I disputed this and explained that in August of last year I had gone down to part time due to health issues but that I had called everytime there had been a change. She then read through the notes (which made reference to me reducing my hours) and advised that the person I had spoken to had amended the fulltime hours for the part time hours for the entire tax year and that had produced to under-estimation.

She has called me back today to advise that the overpayment amount is £1550 but that I should appeal immediately as this looks like it is entirely their fault. I am not holding my breath that it will go in my favour.

Please be really careful if you have a change of circumstances because the lady said that different advisors work in different ways!!!

I also asked why I had had to call a specialist advisor and she explained that it is a pilot scheme they are running to try and combat overpayments (didn't work in my case)

Take Care

Suzanne

joanne_d_3

lasshavinfun wrote: »

After calling the TC office and giving them my figures for last years earnings 3 weeks ago, I didnt hear anything at all.

So I phoned them yesterday and they advised me to call the specialist team and she gave me then number. So I phoned them and they ran through everything with them...All good and she said it had been processed.

How long until I get any sort of award notice?? Hopefully early next week I am hoping

Hi .

I renewed over the phone on 29th April . Although my new payments have begun , i have not yet received my paperwork award notice.

Joanne

joanne_d_3

suziedoc70 wrote: »

Hi, I am completely new to this forum but I thought I'd post so I could warn other people about what has happened to me.

I June 2009 I received a letter from tax credits asking that I call them so they could go through all the information I had orginially given them at the start of the 2009/2010. I called and everything was correct and I forgot about it.

A couple of weeks ago I got another letter asking that I call a specific number when I ring in my final figures, this needed to be after I received my renewal pack, I received the renewal pack on Tuesday and as I had all the information I called.

Everthing was going fine until I gave the figures for what we had earned - £31798, the lady said that the amount I had originally estimated was actually £26001, therefore I had under-estimated by £5000ish. Immediately I disputed this and explained that in August of last year I had gone down to part time due to health issues but that I had called everytime there had been a change. She then read through the notes (which made reference to me reducing my hours) and advised that the person I had spoken to had amended the fulltime hours for the part time hours for the entire tax year and that had produced to under-estimation.

She has called me back today to advise that the overpayment amount is £1550 but that I should appeal immediately as this looks like it is entirely their fault. I am not holding my breath that it will go in my favour.

Please be really careful if you have a change of circumstances because the lady said that different advisors work in different ways!!!

I also asked why I had had to call a specialist advisor and she explained that it is a pilot scheme they are running to try and combat overpayments (didn't work in my case)

Take Care

Suzanne

Hi.

You see thats the thing here....tax credits are telling people to ring up asap to report any changes and then whilst i was on hold with them the other week , i heard a voice recorded message advising people that if too many changes are reported to the helpline , you *may* be passed through to another dept to discuss your claim!

Surely if they want people to inform them of changes in circumstances then they shouldnt be worrying people by saying things such as this!!!!

Joanne

joanne_d_3

emmaan wrote: »

Well, I just have to hope that i will be given more time to pay it back, as we are going to be on very low income this year..... Anyone was able to do that?

Hi again.

Emmaan - i think you are worrying too much. I dont think your overpayment is going to be as massive as you think .

Call them up and get it over with.

*IF* the worst happens and you do have an overpayment theres a special dept who deals with this . You tell them what your incoming and outgoing household figures are and then you both come to an arrangement on how much you can afford to pay back weekly.

My parents had an over payment several years ago which they disputed. Approx half this overpayment got written off after it was disputed an tco accepted partial blame.

The rest of the money (was about £500) they were allowed to pay back monthly at £10 per month .

Dont be fretting , think of your bump:rotfl:

Joanne

suziedoc70

'You see thats the thing here....tax credits are telling people to ring up asap to report any changes and then whilst i was on hold with them the other week , i heard a voice recorded message advising people that if too many changes are reported to the helpline , you *may* be passed through to another dept to discuss your claim!

Surely if they want people to inform them of changes in circumstances then they shouldnt be worrying people by saying things such as this!!!!'

The lady of the phone told me to try and make no more than 2 changes in any one tax year!!!!

joanne_d_3

suziedoc70 wrote: »

'You see thats the thing here....tax credits are telling people to ring up asap to report any changes and then whilst i was on hold with them the other week , i heard a voice recorded message advising people that if too many changes are reported to the helpline , you *may* be passed through to another dept to discuss your claim!

Surely if they want people to inform them of changes in circumstances then they shouldnt be worrying people by saying things such as this!!!!'

The lady of the phone told me to try and make no more than 2 changes in any one tax year!!!!

You quoted me lol , i thought i was losing it there when i read your post lol

joanne_d_3

suziedoc70 wrote: »

'You see thats the thing here....tax credits are telling people to ring up asap to report any changes and then whilst i was on hold with them the other week , i heard a voice recorded message advising people that if too many changes are reported to the helpline , you *may* be passed through to another dept to discuss your claim!

Surely if they want people to inform them of changes in circumstances then they shouldnt be worrying people by saying things such as this!!!!'

The lady of the phone told me to try and make no more than 2 changes in any one tax year!!!!

Lol last year i think i made around 8 changes !

I need to make some changes this year too but im worried about telling them so soon into the tax year!

suziedoc70

joanne_d wrote: »

You quoted me lol , i thought i was losing it there when i read your post lol

Sorry, I am still getting the hang of this lol!!!

suziedoc70

joanne_d wrote: »

Lol last year i think i made around 8 changes !

I need to make some changes this year too but im worried about telling them so soon into the tax year!

I will continue to report any change that I have because at least I know that they are in receipt of the full facts and I cannot be held responsible for their errors.

The thing is we are now both out of work (my husband is frantically trying to find another job asap) and I have been asked to estimate an income for this tax year, I explained that we are on income based JSA (a non taxable benefit) but they lady insisted that I pick a figure to base the claim on so we agreed on £7000 because otherwise we may get an overpayment/underpayment!!!! This is absloutely confusing, to be honest I wish we didn't have to claim tax credits at all.

Actually, I think i'll get a job as a benefits advisor because at this rate i'll be a blinking expert - lol

amani_2

When I rung the specialist team, they asked if there could be any changes coming up. I said well the only thing I can think of is my 16yr old will be leaving school and starting college in September. He said well I will put a note on your account for September.
But things happen out of the blue that can not always be predicted. So how can they ask you to not make any more than 2 changes a year?