Tax Credits change of circumstance means lose everything for 6 weeks ?????

Maz

Similar situation here!

Had three small businesses but two went mammaries up due to the downturn so, in February this year, I got myself a part time job, in the care industry, for 20 hours per week. In the meantime, I continue to work at my other business, still in its infancy really and not showing any profit (yet).

An honest sort me, dutifully 'phoned the WTC people and informed them of my change of circs. As I'm on a zero hours contract in my part time job, the hours worked are variable but never go beyond 20 hours per week and my estimated annual salary will be around £4-5k per annum. This meant I would also be working over 50 hours per week in total as I still had a third part time business, so the person I spoke to told me that I would actually receive an additional payment for the over 50 hours element of my claim. So far so good.

What a mistake I made being honest with these people!

What has actually happened is that my WTC have been stopped altogether and I haven't received any payments since February. I am now in an overdraft, a facility I've had for over 20 years and this is the first time I've ever had to use it! Not happy. :mad:

Numerous 'phone calls later, WTC admit that the mistake is theirs and I've been assured by various call centre staff that the matter has been/is being resolved and that I can expect payment in 72 hours/3-4 weeks/2 weeks approx/we've converted your claim to a work loan and you will receive payment plus what we owe you in the next 48 hours etc. I have also received countless letters from them stating that we've stopped your WTC/you owe us £2.5k/you don't owe us anything/paying in slip for the £2.5k you owe us! :mad: :mad:

Three more letters in similar vein arrived today, all in seperate envelopes.

I have been to CAB, who have lodged two complaints. I am waiting for my MP to 'phone me to arrange an appointment, although like others on here, I don't hold out an awful lot of hope that this will resolve anything.

In the meantime, my carefully managed finances are well and truly screwed, for quite some time to come. I suppose I'm 'lucky' having the overdraft available but I feel that I've been pushed into debt through no fault of my own. I haven't been in debt for over 25 years.

If anyone has any suggestions as to what I can do next, they'd be very much appreciated.

I really do regret being honest with these people in light of their appalling ineptitude.

nosierosie

icklejulez wrote: »

Thanks Iv just emailed my MP but got an out of office reply. My problem is the stress of all of this has put pressure on my relationship already, My boyfriend is Bipolar and this sort of thing he cant handle, he is so ashamed. I am also 17 weeks pregnant with my parnter and have had to be signed off work sick for 2 weeks because of it all (relationship and money problems) and I dont even have the confidence to go to my local tax credits office as its in the town centre and Id have to get a bus there on my own. I cant believe one simple change of circumstances has affected my life so much. Please let me know how you get on... I cant believe they are able to get away with this. Iv spent a fortune calling them every other day on my mobile too.

Well i went used my kidsschool dinner money for the bus. Got there to be told you have to make an appointment. But if you phone up they just tell you to go in. The office i went to didnt have any appointments this week. Buthave got me in at a differnt office tomorrow the hardship loan yo get £50. She said there mghtbe a chance you dont get it.
But they will look and see what is holding the claim up and see if they can get it sorted .Which i would be happy with. So its worth a try fingers crossed they can sort it , i willlet you know tomorrow how i get on.
I know how you feel because i have bad anxiety and dont really like going out places on my own.Im fine if im with some 1, but i did it today got on the bus on my own. I was fine got a bit panicky at 1st but then went so feel good for that. So just get up inthe morning like meand try force yourself to go. And goodluck on your pregnancy.
Try not let this come between you and your fellar i no its hard and stressfull but you just have to try get through it together.
I get up each day and phone and always say after that call i will not get peed off.
Good luck and keep your chin up xx

nosierosie

Maz wrote: »

Similar situation here!

Had three small businesses but two went mammaries up due to the downturn so, in February this year, I got myself a part time job, in the care industry, for 20 hours per week. In the meantime, I continue to work at my other business, still in its infancy really and not showing any profit (yet).

An honest sort me, dutifully 'phoned the WTC people and informed them of my change of circs. As I'm on a zero hours contract in my part time job, the hours worked are variable but never go beyond 20 hours per week and my estimated annual salary will be around £4-5k per annum. This meant I would also be working over 50 hours per week in total as I still had a third part time business, so the person I spoke to told me that I would actually receive an additional payment for the over 50 hours element of my claim. So far so good.

What a mistake I made being honest with these people!

What has actually happened is that my WTC have been stopped altogether and I haven't received any payments since February. I am now in an overdraft, a facility I've had for over 20 years and this is the first time I've ever had to use it! Not happy. :mad:

Numerous 'phone calls later, WTC admit that the mistake is theirs and I've been assured by various call centre staff that the matter has been/is being resolved and that I can expect payment in 72 hours/3-4 weeks/2 weeks approx/we've converted your claim to a work loan and you will receive payment plus what we owe you in the next 48 hours etc. I have also received countless letters from them stating that we've stopped your WTC/you owe us £2.5k/you don't owe us anything/paying in slip for the £2.5k you owe us! :mad: :mad:

Three more letters in similar vein arrived today, all in seperate envelopes.

I have been to CAB, who have lodged two complaints. I am waiting for my MP to 'phone me to arrange an appointment, although like others on here, I don't hold out an awful lot of hope that this will resolve anything.

In the meantime, my carefully managed finances are well and truly screwed, for quite some time to come. I suppose I'm 'lucky' having the overdraft available but I feel that I've been pushed into debt through no fault of my own. I haven't been in debt for over 25 years.

If anyone has any suggestions as to what I can do next, they'd be very much appreciated.

I really do regret being honest with these people in light of their appalling ineptitude.

OMG thats shockingthat really is a long time.Have you not been to your locall tax office to see if theres anythingthey can do to get this sorted.
Dont know how you have coped so longim moaning and mine as only been 7 weeks.
Good luck hope you getthis sorted soon x

Maz

nosierosie wrote: »

OMG thats shockingthat really is a long time.Have you not been to your locall tax office to see if theres anythingthey can do to get this sorted.
Dont know how you have coped so longim moaning and mine as only been 7 weeks.
Good luck hope you getthis sorted soon x

Thanks for the sympathy!

The WTC advised that the only thing I can do at the moment and until this is sorted, is to go to my tax office and ask for an emergency payment.

When I went to the CAB, they told me that the call centre staff aren't even employed by HMRC and the work is outsourced! Doesn't exactly inspire confidence does it?

I think I'll give my post a new thread status to draw attention to this shower we laughingly call a 'Helpline'.

Do hope you get your mess sorted soon, it's very stressful I know.

delain

GEEGEE8 wrote: »

If they give you the benefits because it's meant to bring you up to the minimum living standards, then how can they just take it away for 6 weeks and expect you to just manage? Seems stupid really!

In Bournemouth there is an office you can go to and speak to them direct. I did this when I did my new claim (same reason!) because 'My information did not match' :eek: It turns out some twerp had entered my data wrong and they had my twins as being born 2 months apart :mad: I said to them, this is obviously not my fault, how could you manage to do that as you've been paying the same amount for those children for the last three years :wall:

I'd find your nearest office, take your younger children with you, find a comfy chair right in the doorway and refuse to leave until they've worked th bugs out. Good luck!

nosierosie

Maz wrote: »

Thanks for the sympathy!

The WTC advised that the only thing I can do at the moment and until this is sorted, is to go to my tax office and ask for an emergency payment.

When I went to the CAB, they told me that the call centre staff aren't even employed by HMRC and the work is outsourced! Doesn't exactly inspire confidence does it?

I think I'll give my post a new thread status to draw attention to this shower we laughingly call a 'Helpline'.

Do hope you get your mess sorted soon, it's very stressful I know.

Ihave just been to see my local councillor at the local mp office i spoke tohim on saturday and he told me to call in.
I did just come back anyway got some answers. My claim is with the compliance team being investigated for fraud. Dont no what kind of fraud. He just said dont worry about it. Which i am.
Tax credits now have 24 hours to make a decision on my claim.
So this time by tomorrow i should know whats happening and if i am going to get them.
So why dontyou go to your local mps office because by law theyhave to tell them whats happening x
Ha ha likethe name for the new thread

esmerellda

nosierosie and icklejuz - I can't help but just wanted to say that I absolutely understand the confidence thing. Reading these posts knowing its likely I'll be facing the same (form sent in a couple days ago) I'm already stressing about having to attend the tax credits office, and now I read its for £50 OMG how much is that meant to help you through 6 weeks with three kids ! The situation is very very wrong - tax credits seem to be treated by the call centre staff like they are an extra luxury we should be grateful for. Maybe thats the case if you are on 35/40k a year but its not if you are on nothing but. It is a massive extra strain on a relationship which when you are just moving in together is seriously not needed, but then I guess what doesnt break us makes us stronger. Are new single claims processed quicker? I really couldnt believe the call centre girl told me to get my partner to move out again.... taken us three years to get to this stage in our relationship, and we're happy, not going back now just to suit their systems.

Why can't they pay you an estimate while they are processing it then sort out overpayments/underpayments once its sorted ? That would make much more sense to me.

I know my single claim was £139 a week and my new claim is £120 a week. Why not say ok it will take us a while to process we'll reduce your payments to £60/£80 until its processed and if its less than the final award make it up in your first payment, if its more take it off of your first payment etc.

icklejulez

I had to laugh yesterday I got the acknowledgement letter through from the complaints team and they got my name completely wrong lol... They called me MRS J SCOTT. J being my initial and Scott being my partners name. Not only at the top of the letter this was used throughout the letter. On top of this they acknowledged recieving the complaint on the 24th June but say they now have until the end of August to look into this. What on earth is the point of that? So they will put it to the bottom of the pile and look at it again in 6 weeks... Stupid and pathetic. How on earth do they get away with this treatment. Reading up on the internet there's stories like this everywhere it would be so interesting if Martin looked into this and showed them up on a documentary. I feel like contacting a national newspaper. They are leaving families to starve.

Thanks for everyone's words of wisdom and Iv got my fingers crossed for you too. Iv tried to get through this morning but after Martin's appearance on GMTV Im not holding out too much hope. Even there phone system is stupid. They put you through all the options then just cut you off. Surely if I choose to hold then that is my choice. What I would love to know is do the staff even care that they are lying to customers every time they call? There's obviously no issue to them when we complain otherwise so many of them wouldnt do it. I work in a call centre processing pension application forms and making payments and If I lied to someone I would get disciplined and possibly lose my job.

nosierosie

Your rite esmeralda they should pay us something each week like u said,then none of us would be in this mess.
My councillor phonedme back yesterday. He said they phoned him back with in 5 mins of me leaving, anyway there was something on the claim with 1 of my kids and theyhad taken it of .
Sothey have now got till friday toget mypayments sorted and he is going to phone them back on wendsday. So fingers crossedi shouldhave a payment date.
Ithink its sad that tax credits dont tell us any thing on the phone.
So ithinks worth you all payinga visit to your local mp office it might get you somewere x

Telfordstar

I tried phoning again tonight but got the "were to busy to take your call message" Its really bloody frustrating waiting now grrrrrrr