Tax credits: Notice to pay?

jmima

Just got a letter from tax credits saying that there had been an overpayment and that I owe them £445.74!

I just don't get it! I filled in every form that ever came on time, my circumstances have never changed (am unemplyed with 2 young children) so how could they have overpaid me?

Can I fight this or do I have to pay them back? And if I have to pay it back, can I ask for it to be deducted from future tax credit payments? I just don't know what I'm going to do if I do have to pay it back

DX2

Tax credits? I'm assuming you mean child tax credits.
Did your benefits change?
Any change of circumsatnces regarding the children?

jmima

Sorry yes - child tax credits.

No change of circumstances. My partner and I moved back in together in Jan '10 and they were notified straight away. I had to reapply, which I did, then I got a letter of award. A few months later (about July) I got a letter asking if my details were still the same, which they were so I replied yes, and next thing I know, I got this letter this morning.

Duncombe

The overpayment may be due to the time between your partner moving in and you informing them? Did your partner work? That is a fairly major change of circumstances and it only happened 9 months ago.

Best not to worry though - you can't do anything about it until Monday. Ask for a breakdown of how the overpayment occured and if necessary challenge the decision.

nannytone_2

they would have worked your ctc payment out over the year from april til april. as your circumstances changed in january, an overpayment could have already been made.
as i said b4. the entitlment is worked out on a yearly basis, not month by month.
hope you understand what i mean lol

jmima

He wasn't working. I was on Income Support when he moved in. He was unemployed and started claiming JSA and my income support was stopped. Like I said, I told them immediately that he was moving in, and I had to reapply for the tax credits.