I owe £2000 to Child Tax Credits

Danielsmum

I split from my Partner in Dec 2009 but didn't inform tax credits untill 6 months later. It wasn't intentional, I had that many people to inform and I had just been diagnosed with post natal depression. I owe the money as in those 6 month it was a joint claim when it should have been a single parent claim.

I realise this is totally my own fault but I can't cope, I owe £2000 and don't have the money. I also don't understand how I owe so much, I was recieving £65 a week for 6 months (I should have been claiming £57) I realise I can't off-set on against the other but £65*24 weeks is close to £1500, not £2000.

Is there anyway I could get any backdated payment? I've left it so long, my head has been stuck in the sand.

I'm so scared, I've even thought of ending my own life (just the depression talking, I have a beautiful baby boy and would never leave him). Please, please can somebody help me? Thankyou in advance

no-oneknowsme

Im sorry but even if you appeal this overpayment I just cant see the decision being changed.

Unfortunately you claimed money that you were not entitled to for 6 months and as far as HMRC are going to be concerned they are going to expect it to be repaid.

As you are still receiving tax credits im sure you will be allowed to set up a repayment plan by which you will be able to have the money deducted from future weekly payments.

The best bet is to phone the over payments line and try to arrange the best way to pay it back and if they ask you to pay it back at too high a weekly rate just ask for longer to pay it .

They will take into account any other regular outgoings you have when arriving at a repayment figure per week but im afraid if you are expecting it to be writen off because of your post natal then thats unlikely to happen.

Im so sorry i cant offer you any postive advice but have a read of this link and take things from there.....http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/leaflets/how-hmrc-handle-txcr-opay.pdf

flea72

i cannot see how you didnt inform them of a change in circumstances for 6m. you split in december, the new awards are issued in April, thats 4m max, that you could have let it overrun without realising

tbh, i would dispute the overpayment. when you realised you hadnt informed them of a change in circumstances at renewal time, you would have been able to close that claim, and re-open a new one. at which point you could have had the new claim backdated for 3m, so this would have cut down the overpayment timescale considerably - even if you just dispute the difference between what you were entitled to, and what they have paid you - as at present they are claiming back everything, as an overpayment

i take it this tax years entitlement, is all correct, and based on yourself, as a single parent?

F

spaceman5

Danielsmum wrote: »

I split from my Partner in Dec 2009 but didn't inform tax credits untill 6 months later. It wasn't intentional, I had that many people to inform and I had just been diagnosed with post natal depression. I owe the money as in those 6 month it was a joint claim when it should have been a single parent claim.

I realise this is totally my own fault but I can't cope, I owe £2000 and don't have the money. I also don't understand how I owe so much, I was recieving £65 a week for 6 months (I should have been claiming £57) I realise I can't off-set on against the other but £65*24 weeks is close to £1500, not £2000.

Is there anyway I could get any backdated payment? I've left it so long, my head has been stuck in the sand.

I'm so scared, I've even thought of ending my own life (just the depression talking, I have a beautiful baby boy and would never leave him). Please, please can somebody help me? Thankyou in advance

surely if you was supposed to be clsiming £57, and you was claiming £65 then it should be 24 x £8 which turns out an overpayment of £192, so where the hell do they get nearly £2000 from:eek:

viktory

Have you requested a breakdown of how they have reached the sum they are claiming was overpaid?

no-oneknowsme

spaceman5 wrote: »

surely if you was supposed to be clsiming £57, and you was claiming £65 then it should be 24 x £8 which turns out an overpayment of £192, so where the hell do they get nearly £2000 from:eek:

lol, if it worked like that then there would be an awful lot of people "forgetting" to inform tco of a change in circumstances and just paying back the difference when they get caught !

spaceman5

no-oneknowsme wrote: »

lol, if it worked like that then there would be an awful lot of people "forgetting" to inform tco of a change in circumstances and just paying back the difference when they get caught !

yeah but surely the vast majority of people that claim these benefits only claim them because they need them, so would not be in their interest to convienantly forget to declare something so they get more than they are entitled to, as they will have to pay it back in the end, and will not be able to afford to, i know we could not do that, we use every penny we get, so could not afford to have to pay back an over payment

no-oneknowsme

Yeah but the point i am making is that people could forget to inform of a change in circumstances that could see them receive extra money each week , as the OP has....

What you were saying in your post about off-setting the correct weekly amount the OP should have been receiving against the amount they were receiving is a nice thought but in reality , if tco allowed this to happen then whats to stop people doing this knowingly yet when they get found out by HMRC , claiming that they "forgot" to change their details with tco...

Wheres the punishment ? Trust me , if there is no punishment for fraud then a lot of people would be jumping on the bandwagon.

Ps OP , im not in any way implying that you knowingly commited fraud , this post is just in response to a post by Spaceman5

no-oneknowsme

Op - have a good read through the info in this link http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/leaflets/archive/wtc3.htm it makes interesting readin.

Please also ignore what cobble has posted , theres no way you will go to jail or end up with a criminal record over a tax credit over payment.

The link highlights penalties which HMRC will charge if over payments occur and the maximum penaly they impose is £300 . You will off course most likely be liable to pay the complete over payment back.

wornoutmumoftwo

We're forever in overpayment as I have to estimate each years wages as the OH just keeps on changing jobs. I think this is the first tax year I haven't owed them something or other.

Are you receiving ta credits now as a single claim?
Are they already deducting the overpayment?

Danielsmum

Oh I feel sick. I didn't even think about it being criminal. Non of the letters have mentioned this. I could cry, oh wait, I am ='(