Tax credit helpline - Pam perhaps?

leftieM

I also failed to get through to TC helpline so I wrote to them yesterday.
I have been overpaid in error - I gave the correct details at renewal and for some reason they increased my payments for last year and this year. This just happened in September. I'm definitely only entitled to the minimum. I have other documents that they sent me to show that I had given new information. I assume that the person inputting my details at HMRC left some off.
I've stashed most of the overpayment but I want to use it to buy oil. Does anyone know will they try to recoup the money in one go or will they just stop my CTC until I have repaid what they gave me by mistake? Hopefully the latter!

AsknAnswer2

I finally got through and was told not to worry, my last call is logged and the information has been sent to head office to action, and my payments would be reduced in due course.

I just hope they don't leave it much longer.

Smiling_Ducky

Hello there.
This is my first post and I just wanted to share my experience with you.
I have been trying to contact tax credits since the beginning of July to tell them about a change in my circumstances. Except for when I was on holiday for a fortnight last month, I tried every day, a couple of times a day, at different times.
All I got was an automated message, the same as OP.
The actual change had taken place in April, but I hadn't been informed of it by my employer until July (so three months had already passed) and as I was concerned that I would get in trouble for not informing them of the change, I emailed my MP at the beginning of October, to see if she could help....I'm still awaiting a response from her.
I finally got through yesterday evening after being on hold for 35 minutes. (It was the first time I hadn't had the automated message)
I spoke to a man who wanted me to answer a whole load of "security" questions, which he didn't actually have the answers to, that had nothing to do with my tax credits claim.
As I am wary of anyone asking personal information, I refused to answer them.
I finally managed to update my circumstances. The call had taken 50 minutes in total.