specialist team for tax credits renewal (merged)

mumtothreegirls

I done my renewal on the 26th April received my NHS Exemption card and an extra payment but no final award notice. I phoned last week to report a change as my childcare has dropped substansially and my award has still not been finalised. I was really hoping to have this sorted by now as I'm getting married on Friday and my partner will be moving in with me. I had hoped that my 09/10 would be finalised then I could end my single claim and claim as a couple (not sure if we'll qualify).

mumtothreegirls

Meant to say I renewed through the main number as I couldn't get through on the specialist number and was told it was ok to do this. Don't know if it's worth trying to get through on the specialist number to see what the hold up is??

Angel3108

I did our renewal at the end of April using the normal TC number, then received a letter saying I had to renew through the specialist team.

When I rang the specialist team they said they didn't need to take the information again as I had already done it, and would put a note on the file to say that I had rung.

Rang up today to ask roughly when to expect the new award letter, and I was informed that it still hasn't been processed yet and to expect it sometime before 31st July.

2010pojo

Numptytoes wrote: »

Thanks for this information, I have yet to ring yet. What will I expect when I do? Do they just go through the renewal in the usual way?

I had been ringing all morning & getting nowhere so was surprised when a 'real' voice answered & not prepared with P60 etc, the renewal was the same as previous years (now into 10th year of receiving TC's). The lady on the phone was very patient & chatty with me while I was trying to find the P60 & deal with a naughty 3yr old.

I'd been putting off ringing them but just thought sod it may as well get it over & done with!!

sunnyone

2010pojo wrote: »

I had been ringing all morning & getting nowhere so was surprised when a 'real' voice answered & not prepared with P60 etc, the renewal was the same as previous years (now into 10th year of receiving TC's). The lady on the phone was very patient & chatty with me while I was trying to find the P60 & deal with a naughty 3yr old.

I'd been putting off ringing them but just thought sod it may as well get it over & done with!!

Tax credits havnt been going for 10 years, believe it or not but people used to manage without the very generous, very expencive tax credit system.

2010pojo

sunnyone wrote: »

Tax credits havnt been going for 10 years, believe it or not but people used to manage without the very generous, very expencive tax credit system.

Ok, maybe they weren't called child tax credits then but I first claimed for a kind of Tax credit, they were known as Working Family Tax Credits in January 2000, 2 weeks after the birth of my first child, this was introduced in 1999, previously it had been known as Family Credit introduced by the Conservatives in the 1980's. So yes credits have been going for a long time though I agree not as generously as they are now.

sorryitsme

I think they have been going for 10years under Labour and prior to that it was the Tories Family Credit.

2010pojo

The Tax credits are/were Gordon Brown's baby

harveymail

I am not sure if this will help someone but maybe it will.

Towards the end of the last tax year - Jan/Feb, my daughter in law contacted TC's to inform them of a change in her income from self-employment, at this time she was told her claim was with a specilist tea, whom she spoke to and they were very nice and just said they were there to help, to reduce the number of calls the TC Helpline.

Then came the renewal. she renewed on the phone and a couple of days later received a letter from one of these teams so she called them and told them she had already renewed with the Helpline, they said fine. She was asked to provide some security questions and answers and something was said about Experian but we are not sure why or what, these questions were asked by the normal helpline.

No award notices were sent despite her ringing weekly to find out why, in the end she contacted the ST who said, "Oh, ok, I will push it through now, it is stuck in the system" and low and behold my DIL called the next day, was given her new payment amounts and within a couple of weeks received a final award from the the previous tax year and a finalised award for this tax year. Yes, she has a high claim, she, herself is disabled, works SE from home, has a child on high rate of DLA. My son (they are seperated) is listed on the mortgage even though her claim is for a single parent, as the mortgage was taken out when they were together, he gives her money every week towards it as she cannot afford to buy him out and he doesn't want his children homeless, its also an investment for his children.

My DIL also has had massive overpayments in the 1000's which she is currently meeting her local MP about but TC's still take a small payment from her award each week to pay it back.

mumtothreegirls

It's so frustrating I too renewed through the main line but got a specialist letter have been phoning both numbers daily to find out what is happening and when I'll get me finalised award and can't get through!!!! I've also got a change to report and want to get it reported ASAP. I'm getting married on Friday and then going on holiday and obviously my partner will be moving in with me after our holiday but want to report the change now as I'm worried about getting overpaid since we go on holiday and I'll not have time to phone. Do you think I should put it in writing I'd just feel better speaking to someone.