6 weeks without tax credits, is there anything i can do?

4boys4years

Hi i am just wondering if anyone can help me at all. I was claiming tax credits as a single parent up until June when my partner moved back in properly. We let everyone know but i had issues getting hold of tax credits so in the end i wrote our change of circumstances down on the renewal letter and returned that. I didn't expect any change as my partner is currently unemployed so just carried on and expected a letter to turn up one day to confirm it all. Then on the 17th August we didn't receive any TCs, i rang them and they said they never received the renewal letter, they checked the details they had and explained to them that i had written in the renewal letter about my partner moving in. They told me they had to cancel my old claim and send me a new claim pack through. It took 15 days for the claim pack to come through which i completed and returned straight away. I kept chasing and they said it was sent 2nd class so i had to give it up to 10 days before they would send another, I think the original one they sent turned up last week as when we've asked why we have another nobody knows. We have been ringing up several times a week since returning and no one can tell us whether they have even received it. I am kicking myself for not sending it recorded but as you can imagine we are really struggling on JSA alone. They have given us an address for the complaints department today but not sure what use that will do. I just want to know that they have our forms at least, I am so worried that they are going to tell us they don't have them and we'll have to start this whole process again.

We have scraped by with a small loan from my mum, one crisis loan and JSA payments over the past 6 weeks. We have child benefit coming tomorrow but it goes through the local credit union so we only pick up £120 every 4 weeks. We will scrape through for food, electric and gas again this week but i have nursery fees building up for my 2 year old (we were expecting funding but was told last week that meeting 2 of the 3 criterias isn't enough now), I need to start paying my tv licenece asap, we owe Virgin who we have paid a minimum to keep them happy (my OH has been applying for jobs online so we need the connection and we need the phone to chase TCs or i would have left it for now), i have had a letter from the dwp today about a loan that was being paid out of my income support which needs to be paid form our JSA now, and it's getting cold so my kids need warmer clothes now Our Healthy Start vouchers have stopped because we are not receiving tax credits so my kids aren't getting as much fruit and veg etc, they are fussy eaters and i cannot afford to buy food that will mostly be untouched but i do like to be able to offer them it in hope they will start eating it one day. We are going through a fortune in milk too (as you can imagine with 3 small children). I am very thankful that i breastfeed my youngest and have him in cloth nappies!

Sorry this is so long, i guess i needed to vent a little. Does anyone have any suggestions for a way forward?

Thanks in advance, Gemma

Penny-Pincher!!

Do WTC offer Interim Payments? Would you be able to get a crisis loan?

PP
xx

4boys4years

I'm ashamed to admit i'm not sure what an interim payment is a quick google hasn't made it any clearer either.

I think i may try the CAB if it's open tomorrow, I haven't gone yet as when i have tried there in the past for debt advice i was told they were to busy to help

I am trying tpo avoid getting another crisis loan, the last one we got involved ringing back ad to al day, it was my son's birthday too. When they finally took our details we had to justify every penny spent on paying family back, spending £20 on our son for his birthday and was told we were wrong to buy a school jumper for him to start school as food was more important. After that experience i really doubt they'll give us a loan to pay the nursery, and buy our kids vests, hats , gloves, coats, etc I feed the kids at my MIL's as often as i can get away with, we haven't bought gas as we had a little stockpiled over the summer but it's getting colder now and it's nearly ran out. I have sold stuff to help keep us afloat but we can't carry on like this. I wish we could find some work, a lot of positions require a licence and car which we don't have

popadom

have you trired http://www.turn2us.org.uk/benefits_search.aspx they may say you can get more
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/index.htm

called the job centre?they might be able to help?or the housing (not sure, where i live we have a "one4all" centre, which will help with it)
call CAB! send the forms recorded deilvery. when you call, ask to speak to a manager and,calming explain the suitation.

1more?

here is a post that ive commented on im going to see my mp on wednesday if ive heard nothing
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2711931
it a joke

4boys4years

Thanks rgay1922, we tried to speak to the manager today but they wouldn't put us through. They told us they couldn't even give us a name but then went on to tell us when we persisted on speaking to them. We have direct link here so will see if i can get anywhere through them. I had a look at the link you posted and i'm pretty sure we are getting everything we are entitled to. HB, CTB, JSA, and free school meals. I enquired about help with school uniforms as my younger boys still need bits, luckily the nursery is more lenient than the school so the sweatshirts have had to wait but it's getting cold now.

1more? I am now even more worried, I haven't sent any birth certificates off with my forms, never had to before and never saw anything asking for them, I hope I never missed it in my hurry to return them! I also know my child benefit number was wrong. I turned the place upside down looking for a letter with it on, I found a bank statement with it on in the end but the last 2 letters weren't on there. I rang child benefit to get the full number but they could only send me a letter with it on which could take up to 10 days so I tried my best to remember and guessed it putting a note in with the forms that the letters may not be right but i couldn't afford to wait for the CB letter to come after the wait I had had for the TC forms. CB letter took 14 days to arrive!

I have this horrible feeling that something is going to be missing or wrong then I'll have to wait for their letter to arrive before i can send them what they need which will then take weeks and weeks to be processed again I think i need to get in touch with my local MP too!

Sorry just quickly reread that and my grammar is awful!

popadom

Well keep calling- they'd rather be rid of you than you keep calling-good luck
i did a quick search trying find your rights regarding speaking to a manager couldnt find anything

ask to speak to a supieor and dont take no for an answer.

Murgatroyd21

When a partner moves in you have to notify tax credits and submit a new joint claim. Usually they advise it can take 10 days for the claim pack to arrive. If you've sent a form back already and think you've entered wrong details, call the helpline who can see if a claim has been entered on the system awaiting award and look to update details as necessary. You don't need to provide the child benefit number for the claim to be processed, but it helps to cross check against the CB database. If there is a question about children you would normally be asked to send the UK birth certificates along with a completed TC655 form. You also need to make sure your joint claim is backdated to the day after your single claim ended i.e. the day after you gave as the day your partner moved in.

1more?

4boys there was a problem with my dd dob on the child benefit system so i had to post birth cert off to them in the mean time tax credits requested birth cert or passort i sent passport
i was told today although im not sure i believe it, that letters recived on the 6th of sept are being dealt with today because of a backlog mine was recived on th 9th so should be dealt with on thursday :mad::mad::mad::mad: thats a 2 wk backlog
im starting to think the people who answer the phones pick a date out of thin air ive been told so many different things over the last 8 wks its going to be 9wks on friday i think its awful i wish they would say there will be a delay and to expect a few weeks with no money