Seriously need some help/advice re tax credit claim

sparkletots

I am so hoping that somebody on here can help regarding my child tax credit claim, I have now been waiting since the beginning of August and am now desperate!

From the outset there seemed to be problem after problem, starting with them clearing a verification failure by putting me with a different gentlemans claim! This was obviously a mismatch which then had to be cleared, then there was apparantly a compliance issue, again been cleared, now for weeks we just keep getting told that they do not know why it will not go through, community legal advice have also been ringing them on my behalf and they are also getting told one story after another until today, tc office has told her that everything that happened up until the workaround which was done on my claim on monday was the wrong things to be doing and they made the mistake, also was told this is why they have not set up manual payments as they are confident that it will go into payment this week (have been told this week after week) because what someone did to my claim on monday was the correct thing to do and this should sort it, this man has also said he will be dealing with my claim personally and he will ring me by Thursday

Now this all seems straight forward but after 220 phone calls to them over the last 2/3 months I have heard it all before!

I have spoken and met with the mp and her secretary has also been ringing them but as he informed me today he doesnt have a magic button to press and if we have ran out of food then we should go to the local food bank! Basically it seems nobody can do a thing! Not a thing!

The tax credit line operator actually told me today there wasnt any point them doing a workaround on my claim on monday as if the first one doesnt push it through into payment then the second time doesnt usually either, then the protocol is to actually get the people that have set up the computer system up to deal with my claim and then if they acnt at a last resort they scrap my claim totally and have to start again!

What on earth can I do, the mp said he would ring the education dept to inform them my children couldnt afford to get to school and I even said I was going to go to the paper but that went straight over his head, am I really stuffed!??

Theres 6 of us living on just over £100 a week at the moment and I have no overdraft left at all and have also had to cancel all my direct debits today as there is no money left for them or I will be unable to buy food so now im going to be in even bigger trouble and more debt and am so scared of the fact there is nothing I can do

Have also been 4 times to the enquiry centre and they cannot do anymore either

djbum_syd

I had the same problem last year. Began a claim August 2009 for my daughter - took them until January 2010 to sort it.
They kept closing my case and accusing me of fraudulently claiming! (stemmed back to a previous problem where someone did use my details fraudulently to claim WTC).
My MP was very helpful - sounds more helpful then your one unfortunately.
Have you written to them? The main complaints office, etc? I found a very strong-worded letter from me helped move the case forward a bit.
Just be very careful when they do pay you, for overpayments. Overpaid me by 2grand(!!!), claimed it was correct when I queried it and then demanded it all back when they realised that it wasn't correct.

I really hope you can sort this soon!!
Best of luck to you! x

sparkletots

Hi, yes my complaint letter went off recorded delivery today! Not holding out any hope its going to be sorted this year! Really dont know what to do as surely if it gets too out of hand then social services would be able to help wouldnt they? Probably be accused of not being able to take care of my children then no doubt! Cant win!

djbum_syd

I really feel for you, I was on £60 a week trying to support a young baby whilst keeping the house warm for her over winter (not easy on metres). I can only begin to imagine how hard it must be for you and 5 other people trying to get by on £100 a week! Luckily I had my mum nearby who helped me out whenever she could - meals, etc. Is there anybody who could help you that way?
It's incredible how they keep people running around like this.

I have my fingers crossed for you that this letter knocks some sense into them!
Let me know if you hear anything! And hopefully another forum user will have a some proper (more helpful!) advice on how to get by until then. x

sparkletots

Thank you, Its awful all the stories I have read about tax credits problems since ive been having my own, the helpline even said to me last week they should employ me as I seem to know more about it than half of them! Half of what I ask about they dont have a clue what im talking about and one of them didnt even know what a m1 referral was!

Im just stunned that they can reel off the same old speel to even mp's and legal helplines and still get away with it, I know they want to cut everything at the moment but even I think this is going a step to far, its no wonder so many people end up bitter and twisted over the system because when it doesnt work the consequences really do spiral out of control! x

DX2

sparkletots wrote: »

Theres 6 of us living on just over £100 a week at the moment

6? 2 adults 4 kids, 1 adult 5 kids

sparkletots

Dx2

Yes thats right, does that make a difference? Unsure of the reason for the question? x

DX2

sparkletots wrote: »

Dx2

Yes thats right, does that make a difference? Unsure of the reason for the question? x

What's right?
2 adults and 4 kids
or
1 adult and 5 kids

sparkletots

can I just ask if anybody knows the address to write to to request all my date from tax credits? x