specialist team for tax credits renewal (merged)

TaxCreditHelp

Icequeen99 wrote: »

themonkeybutler - i take it from your posts you work for TCO. I am surprised that you think Child Benefit is administered by DWP.

As others have said, Child Benefit sits within HMRC and is administered by the Child Benefit Office based in Washington among other places.

I am not allowed to post links, but if you go to the HMRC website you will see the CHild Benefit sections, and then DirectGov shows that HMRC is the department who deals with CB.

you can see the HMRC logo and the information about HMRC backdating your claim. CB moved from DWP many years ago.

IQ

Quite right Ice Queen.

Child Benefit and Tax Credit Office are part of the same 'family' and operate together as Benefits & Credits (B&C).

Tax Credit Office do have access to the Child Benefit system and they periodically check each others systems to make sure the details held are correct and up to date.

TaxCreditHelp

themonkeybutler wrote: »

Thats what we've been asking for years - they were supposed to be linking us (TCO) to the PAYE system so we could check peoples income, but that was mooted several years ago and still hasnt happened. We have LIMITED access to DWP information, but as this costs HMRC money for every licence granted to use their system, its useage is minimal. Would save a lot of headaches and stop a lot of fraud if we could pull each others info.

In one particular Specialist Renewal Team office, all users currently have access to the Pay As You Earn and Child Benefit systems. As you say access to DWP infromation is limited but there is access to details around benefits awarded, amounts per week, and start and end dates.

Telfordstar

TaxCreditHelp wrote: »

It's not the case that those that work have the highest Tax Credits award. You have to take into account the number of children, any childcare costs, and any disability or severe disability.

No one was singled out with this exercise. Tax Credit Office simply focussed on their potentially more vulnerable customer with the higher awards. They simply wish to check all details are correct and hopefully avoid them getting any unnecessary overpayments.

I have a over 8k award and a child with disability so is that why i have to renew from specialist team?

newmummy123_2

Telfordstar wrote: »

I have a over 8k award and a child with disability so is that why i have to renew from specialist team?

Im the same, I have 3 kids with a high childcare element so im assuming thats why I was picked.

whathappen

TaxCreditHelp

I did my intial renewal over the phone as i got my pack before the letter from the renwal team arrived. I spoke to a lady in the renwal team and explained i had done it via main number, she told me they couldnt finalise it as a signel would be put on it but when she checked they had taken this off although they werent allowed so i asked her to go through my award to make sure all was right. she went through confirming everything and said that was it and that i can call via main number from now on.

I did this on the 18th April and my underpayment went in bank on 21st i received my finalised award dated 27th April a week after that date.

I have received nothing more since then, are all of us being asked to send in receipts? as i dont get receipts or invoices as i always pay early but my creche say they can write a letter stating payments for that year...will this be ok?

Has mine been fianlised completely for this year since i have received my final award last month and heard nothing else since?

Regards x

newmummy123_2

whathappen wrote: »

TaxCreditHelp

I did my intial renewal over the phone as i got my pack before the letter from the renwal team arrived. I spoke to a lady in the renwal team and explained i had done it via main number, she told me they couldnt finalise it as a signel would be put on it but when she checked they had taken this off although they werent allowed so i asked her to go through my award to make sure all was right. she went through confirming everything and said that was it and that i can call via main number from now on.

I did this on the 18th April and my underpayment went in bank on 21st i received my finalised award dated 27th April a week after that date.

I have received nothing more since then, are all of us being asked to send in receipts? as i dont get receipts or invoices as i always pay early but my creche say they can write a letter stating payments for that year...will this be ok?

Has mine been fianlised completely for this year since i have received my final award last month and heard nothing else since?

Regards x

That was my worry too. If they ask me to produce receipts then i cant. My childminder would have no problem writing a letter stating my costs but im just wondering if a letter would be accepted.

selina1987

had my final complete declaration thank god

Borgie

selina1987 wrote: »

had my final complete declaration thank god

Did you get an extra payment please?

selina1987

no i didnt hun just my payments changed but had all my final paperwork x

TaxCreditHelp

newmummy123 wrote: »

That was my worry too. If they ask me to produce receipts then i cant. My childminder would have no problem writing a letter stating my costs but im just wondering if a letter would be accepted.

Not everyone is being asked for additional information.

It may be the case that later on in the year Tax Credit Office will ask for evidence as part of their random checks but if your award has been fully processed you are unlikely to be asked to provide further information.

Those that are being asked for further information are those who should have finalised through the Specialist Renewals Team but instead called the main Tax Credi Helpline or submitted their renewal by post and have not have any contact with the Specialist Renewals Team.

Some people are also being asked for further details if there are certain 'anomalies' on their renewal such as earnings below the minimum wage but in these cases the renewal should not have been processed yet.

In some cases the renewal has been processed and subquent checks have shown further information to be required, but these cases are in the minority.

In short, if you have received a finalised award notice for 2009/2010 then it is most likley you will not be asked for further information at this time.