Council have taken a huge amount from my account..... help....

bibbly

I have done a search but couldn't find anything the same as my situation.

I have been receiving council tax benefit for the past 2 years. Approximately ten months ago I had a slight rise at work and my working family tax credit also went up slightly. I rang and advised them of this.

About 3 weeks ago I received a letter saying that I had been receiving too much CT benefit. There is nothing in the letter saying how it was going to be recovered. I know that I needed to contact them but in all honesty and hands up that I was wrong here, I hadn't yet done it (burying my head in the sand a bit I guess which I know is stupid).

Today I have checked my current account and the council has taken the full amount owing straight out of my account via the direct debit :shocked: It's more than FIVE times my normal monthly payment. Can they do this?

Can anyone help? I feel physically sick with worry.

CIS

If Council Tax Benefit has adjsuted the amount of Council Tax due then a new Council Tax Demand Notice would have been issued showing the new instalments due and a new Council Tax Benefit award notice would be issued.

By agreeing to pay by direct debit you allow the council to take the instalments due.

How much Council Tax was outstanding in total ?

jonnyboy82

bibbly wrote: »

I have done a search but couldn't find anything the same as my situation.

I have been receiving council tax benefit for the past 2 years. Approximately ten months ago I had a slight rise at work and my working family tax credit also went up slightly. I rang and advised them of this.

About 3 weeks ago I received a letter saying that I had been receiving too much CT benefit. There is nothing in the letter saying how it was going to be recovered. I know that I needed to contact them but in all honesty and hands up that I was wrong here, I hadn't yet done it (burying my head in the sand a bit I guess which I know is stupid).

Today I have checked my current account and the council has taken the full amount owing straight out of my account via the direct debit :shocked: It's more than FIVE times my normal monthly payment. Can they do this?

Can anyone help? I feel physically sick with worry.

go in your bank and tell them to recall the direct debit,you can do this today and they will reverse it,not many people know about this and you have to tell them you did not know it was coming out at this amount and want it back,this 100% can be done.
it is in the direct debit guarantee,the refund takes a day

Hammyman

+1 for jonnyboy82. Under Direct Debit rules, they have to inform you no less than 14 days before the payment is taken of the amount and the date unless its the same amount on a regular basis and isn't the first payment and even then if that amount changes you have to be informed in the same time. If they haven't done that then the payment has been taken incorrectly and the Direct Debit Guarantee can be invoked. That 6" box with the DD guarantee you never read and the long 5 minute script call centres read out to you is worth its weight in gold in cases like this.