Tax credit blunder Please help!!!

gentle_breeze

Hi there everyone,

My partner is disabled and we claim tax credits for our two children.

About 3 months ago we rang up to make sure that we were being paid the correct amount, as advised check them over and over.

As we spoke to the guy things got a little sinister, he asked if our son was disabled and we explained that he wasnt.

He revealed to us then that the system had him down as being disabled, the guy then said he would check out claim form.. not sure how they do that and he then told us that no we had filled the form in correctly and had not stated our son was disabled.

Today we recieved a letter from the inland revenue saying we owe £751.12 as we were overpaid due to wrong information being provided.

Does anyone have any advice here on what to do?

I am worried they will cover thier tracks and we will end up owing for something that was not our fault.

kazzah60

I would write to them and ask them for a copy of the claim form which you completed, showing where you have given incorrect information.
If you haven't given them that information, you need to double check all your renewal notices and make sure that they don't say your son is disabled
if your forms are all clear then i would write back and dispute that you owe the money - i don't know what the current rules were, but about4 years ago a similar thing happened to me and I raised a formal complaint and went through the Chief executives office and the overpayment was written off becuase I could prove that I had in fact kept them informed of changes in my husbands income

gentle_breeze

Thanks Kazzah, I tried calling but after 20 mins on hold i gave up. I will write to them see what happens.

Murgatroyd21

Quicker if you call and dispute the overpayment. Ask for a TC846 form. As said above, when you dispute the overpayment you can advise that as clarified in the call made 3 months ago, and give the date and time of the call if possible, it was not an error on your part. If they were to claim you gave the information in a later call or other correspondence, ask for copies of the data they say shows you made the error, either copies of letters or transcripts of calls.

You can also claim compensation for this for the distress.

laurence_2

I never phone the tax credit and pension credit office or any government office, I always write.

6 years ago they said I had not informed them of a change in circumstances and had to pay back £4000. I had informed them and I even sent them the copy of my phone bill showing I was on the phone to their number for 40 minutes. They said it did not prove anything as I could have been on hold all that time and hung up without speaking to anyone.

Now I write, even when they request me to phone. I even tell them why I write and not phone. And I print out copies of the letters as well as save them in 3 different places and they are all numbered and dated and if they write asking for clarification I always enclose a copy of the previous letters.

DanE2010

laurence wrote: »

I never phone the tax credit and pension credit office or any government office, I always write.

6 years ago they said I had not informed them of a change in circumstances and had to pay back £4000. I had informed them and I even sent them the copy of my phone bill showing I was on the phone to their number for 40 minutes. They said it did not prove anything as I could have been on hold all that time and hung up without speaking to anyone.

Now I write, even when they request me to phone. I even tell them why I write and not phone. And I print out copies of the letters as well as save them in 3 different places and they are all numbered and dated and if they write asking for clarification I always enclose a copy of the previous letters.

You know you could of asked for a copy of the recording of that 40 minute call to see what was said? You have to put the request in writing, its called a SARS - Suject Acess Request and think you apply under the freedom of information act, might be worth looking into.

laurence_2

You know you could of asked for a copy of the recording of that 40 minute call to see what was said?

According to them there was no call, they had no record of any call. I even got my MP involved and they still said there was no call. But of course, you don't believe me.

But I don't blame you because you have been brainwashed into believing that any government official in a government office is perfect, they don't make mistakes.

At least that is the impression I get when anyone dares to critisise any benefit office on this forum.

My conclusion is that they only say they record calls, they don't really.

I say I record all my calls to anyone who calls me but I don't, I just say that.

Someone once phoned and said that they record all calls and is it OK and I said yes, wait until I start up my recorder so I can record the call, they said you can't record us, I said well I am, so they hung up.

I also got an email from the tax office asking me for my bank details so they could pay me a refund, I replied you already have them, another right hand not knowing what the left is doing.

And it is could have.

DanE2010

Well thats the thanks you get for offering abit of advice! charming! Im not brainwashed by anyone and was merely offering a suggestion, im well aware that every goverment department has its faults and makes mistakes, I wasnt making a judgement on your situation at all and to be honest your reaction suggests your abit of a drama queen and I feel sorry for anyone who had the unfortunate task of having to deal with you over the phone so its probably a good idea that you communicate by letter. If you didnt want anyone to comment on your situation may I suggest you keep your job shut in future?

FYI the tax office (as in HMRC) dont communicate with customers via email so the email you got was a scam email and nothing to do with HMRC.

ady_j

Laurence,

I think Dan was actually trying to be helpful.

More Importantly, HRMC DO NOT ASK FOR BANK DETAIL BY EMAIL (shouting for emphasis).

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/security/examples.htm

HMRC related scam examples

Tax rebate

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) would not inform customers of a tax rebate via email, or invite them to complete an online form to receive a rebate of tax.
Do not visit the website contained within the email or disclose any personal or payment information.
Email addresses used to distribute the tax rebate emails include:

• refunds@hmrc.gov.uk
• [EMAIL="info@hmrc.gov.uk"]info@hmrc.gov.uk[/EMAIL]
• attached.form@hmrc.attached.gov.uk
• service@hmrc.gov.uk
• hmrcrefunds@hmrc.gov.uk
• refundsdept@ir-efile.gov.uk
• [EMAIL="noreply@notifications.gov.uk"]noreply@notifications.gov.uk[/EMAIL]
• customers@hmrc.gov.uk
• taxcredits@hmrc.co.uk
• [EMAIL="notice-hm@hmrc.gov.uk"]notice-hm@hmrc.gov.uk[/EMAIL]
• securemail@hmrc.gov.uk
• hmrc@tax-revenue.uk
• [EMAIL="tndrftnpcb@aol.com"]tndrftnpcb@aol.com[/EMAIL]

HMRC does not send out emails using these email addresses.

laurence_2

It was over 6 years ago do you think they will still have the non existant to them recording? I don't think so. Someone at one time admitted to me that not all calls were recorded because of technical dificulties, and that call wasn't recorded.

I wasn't always like this. It was after 3 years of hell with the tax office that I became so cynical. You would become cynical too after they threatened to take your home away. And that phone call doesn't exist either.

Phone calls and the tax office or whatever they call themselves now are like a red rag to a bull with me and when some one comes on here and says six years after the event

You know you could HAVE asked for a copy of the recording of that 40 minute call to see what was said

did you not think to consider that they could not produce the phone call because they had no recording of it?

I also like it when someone makes a sarcastic remark in a post and it is lost on the majority of people.

I wonder if anyone will figure out what my sarcastic remark was?

isn't that right ady_j

DanE2010

I dont care about your sarcastic remarks or why your cynical! I was offering abit of advice and look what i got back! Your not helping this thread so dont bother replying, if your that bitter about it why dont you go and start your own thread on the vent board or discussion time cause frankly my dear I dont give a damn!