Tax Credit helpline 0845

supermum7573

I have reconnected with my lone parent advisor at the job centre who originally introduced me to getting back into work and assured me that it would be simple and uncomplicated

two months later I am in two thousand pounds worth of debt and a nervous wreck calling 0845 600 5264 up to 80 times a day

I will have to give up soon

Asulli

Hi,

I've had this issue with this number.

I finally got through to someone (Instead of 5264 I rang 5265) and was told that it's impossible to get through on the main line. Brilliant!

You need to pester whoever you get through to, as it's a direct line, but they will help if you hassle them enough.

We've reported this to our institute, and to HMRC (I'm an accountant).

Also, If you ring the main number of 0845 300 3900 and tell them you spoken to the 5264 number (even if you haven't) and that you've been told they have to deal with it, or amend your referral, they will do. If you just say that you need to make an amendment they fob you off with the other number and you'll get nowhere so make sure you tell them you've spoken to someone on the 5264 number!

Hope this helps some people out.

CHEZ_3

My neice is entitled to claim tax credits and has recieved payments for the past 5 years, every change of circumstance has been reported to the tax credit office. Today she has rang the tax credit office to inform them that her husbands hourly rate has increased, to be informed that she owes them £7000.00 plus for mis - claiming and giving faulse information. She has tried to explain to the very thick woman on the other end of the phone that the salary paid to both her and her husband has always been reported correctly. They are now saying that the expences her husband claims should have been included in the final salary figures. The expences he gets paid into his salary each week is a pay back of all the money he has paid out during the week for hotels or food. he has to pay for these out of his own pocket and claim them back from his employer. Can you tell me if these expences should have been included in the calculation that decided how much they should recieve for tax credits. His employer allows him to spend a maximum of £42.50 per day, if he pays out more than this because the hotel rates are higher he does not get this reimbursed. Please can someone help us as we do not appear to be able to get a straight answer from the tax credit office. The accounts clerk that does the wages at his compant has spoken to the tax credit people today on our behalf but they do not appear to understand what she is saying.

soylent_pink

If these expenses are reimbursements of money that he has paid out then they should not be showing as taxable income on his P60. If they are on his P60 as part of his income, then they should be declared as income to tax credit office.

How would TCO know about the payments if they are purely reimbursements of money that he has paid out? Non-taxable payments should not show as taxable on a P60 or P11D, and should not show as taxable income on an SA return.

There are only 3 possibilities, none of which is the fault of the 'thick' person at TCO

(a) the payroll dept of his employer has acted incorrectly in showing the reimbursement as taxable income
(b) if he fills in an SA return, he has completed it incorrectly
(c) he has completed his tax credit annual declarations incorrectly, and therefore owes the money

Mattgould

My Wife and I have been trying since the middle of Feb, and I decided to go on the offensive today and have learned some things that will help others in the forum.

1. Calling the main 0845 3003900 main line can help. If you ask to speak with a manager they will fill out an electronic complaints form that gets sent directly to the office in Preston. They will request a call back for you.
2. Try 0845 6005265 instead. I got through on this number rather than the main number. A really nice lady called Sally completed my query whilst I waited on the phone. Still took a while though.
3. Mid afternoon is the best time to call.

Now for the reasons:

On the 3003900 number, Alex and his manager Harry both agreed that the system was inadequate. Because of new government legislation the benefit claims are no longer processed at the time of request, claims have to be sent to another office to be checked before they are applied. (Stops fraud apparently) This means that the call centre geared up to deal with a population worth of enquiries has none of the necessary details about follow up calls.

The follow up team are currently processing claims made before the 3rd Feb and dont have a phone set up or the staff to deal with the influx of calls.

In reality, if you are prepared to spend a lot of time trying, and trying again to get through, and once you do you are able to keep them on the line long enough, they will process the claim up front. Sally kindly got permission from her manager to do this. She even called back to let me know. They are good at what they do, they just don't have enough people.

It seems that the government have made a decision without backing it up with appropriate resources. As a result so many people are loosing out.

I would urge as many of you as possible who are experiencing this problem still to call 0845 3003900 and ask for the call to be escalated to a manager so the complaints process can get under way.

Don't take it out on them, as they must be working under difficult circumstances at the moment, but if this avenue is increased, someone may step in to help resource the department that really needs all the help to do their jobs properly.

Matt

fedupwithhassle

I wonder if anyone can help? In 2007 we were informed that child tax credits had been overpaid as they requested more information (despite several requests from us they never stated what information they required!!!) in the sum of £295. We have always disputed this and correspondence is exchanged infrequently with no resolution to the problem. Recently, however, the letters have become far more threatening and though we have written to them twice in the last month, they seem unwilling to acknowledge the correspondence. I'm reluctant to call the 0845 number (given the experience elsewhere on the forum) and wish to keep a written record which cannot be misquoted. We have even sent letters recorded delivery in the past but still get nowhere. If we had a spare £295 we'd pay it just to get rid of them. We have not claimed CTC since 2007 though think we would have been entitled due to the "overpayment" allegation.:mad:

dairy_milk

Im goinmg to try again this afternoon, both myself and my partner recieved pay rises as of the 1st of april and i haighly doubt we will be entitlerd to anything but I cant get through to tell them! :mad:

Emma_whitnash

I've called the main number before 8.30am and generally got through. Try at any other time of the day and forget it, very frustrating. There have been problems with HMRC ever since it was set-up, am grateful for the other numbers posted in this forum though - thank you. Will try them next time I have to phone them (which I need to do). Didn't realise credits for babies under 1 year stopped from 6th April - they didn't mention that when I called to update them.

nich1

hi, my friend use to work at hmrc washington in the north east and she told me to ring 01355 359007 if ever i can't get through on the 0845 number. i ring the 01355 number whenever i need to contact them and its worked everytime and they are always so helpful and friendly. hope this helps

fairfight2011

Hi there, I am very grateful I found this forum - I am on a capped mobile contract (all 0800's/0845's etc are barred - or 40p a minute if I top up with a voucher)

I urgently needed to contact the tax credit helpline to report a change of circumstances, and thanks to the posts here was able to get straight through to a very pleasant person and use my 'free' minutes. No being charged to listen to an automated option menu, not put on hold, just sorted, swiftly and painlessly. A truly surreal experience.


Thanks again :T