Tax Credits - unbelievable!!!

cazziebo

Just came off a call to the tax credits people :eek: I called them to tell them that I was changing bank account (because my other account is being closed because I got my bank charges back!! :j )

However, got a letter from them today which I didn't understand so also mentioned that. I'm an intelligent person - honest! - but each sentence didn't seem to follow the last. The first sentence says my claim ended August 05, the second says my claim for 05 06 was based on an estimate, and that it was a joint claim. (I'm still getting tax credits, my claim was done from a P60, and I'm a single parent). We then got onto a big discussion about overpayments, which I'd appealed about months ago. The agent told me "it could take years to sort out"

I then told her that I wanted to change bank details and she said "the system can only take one change a day, so call back tomorrow" . It would still be too late to change for this month.....(paid about 25th)

what a shower! Every year I get big refunds from them, only to be immediately followed by letters telling me I've been overpaid!!! Two years ago they told me they'd been notified I'd got married!! I wish!

Someone needs to sort them out! :money:

I'm so lucky that I don't count on it, but for some people it must make the difference between eating or not. Eejits

Okay - rant over

welshcakes

Oh boy, open a bottle of wine and unwind with a film ... Terminator or Alien might suit you at moment! I've just applied for CTC (I say just, it was aout 3 weeks ago but I have learnt from this site that cases are backlogged so am not running to doormat every morning). A couple of days ago I changed banks, by your experience looks like I may have gone and overloaded their IT systems on my case records already.

saintjanet

I keep saying this in answer to similar threads.My s-in-law had an awful time with these people,ended up owing them hundreds of pounds and is still paying it back,all their fault too she says!!.All she did was tell them the facts.

welshcakes

A 'radical' change to the way the CSA operates was announced last year. Does anyone know if the Tax Credits system is also earmarked for a good tidy up or would that make too many civil servants redundant?

Contains_Mild_Peril

I've had loads of trouble with them too. The whole system is chaos.
They publish a How To Complain leaflet which you can request if you want to.

kelloggs36

Go to your MP and get him/her to sort it for you. I guarantee it will be done quicker than if you go the normal route! I know what you mean because they did the same to me - told me I had been overpaid when their COMPUTER system doubled mine and my husband's income instead of taking my income off when I left work to have my baby and my maternity pay ran out. They took money off me when they had no right to as they acknowledged that it was a computer error but could not override the system, so I had to pay it back and then get it paid back to me again!!! It was sorted BUT THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN THE NEXT YEAR!!!! Now they can't even manage to take details of a change of bank account for me either as they have resorted to paying by giro (which incidentally hasn't arrived yet!) even though they hold the correct bank details. Brick wall. Head. Bang. Repeat.

welshcakes

Does anyone else find the incompetance of these systems that 'govern' money a bit scarey? It makes you wonder how many times poeple of a certain age (i can't wear lycra anymore) have lost money simply because we simply weren't aware that it had been incorrectly removed/charged/deducted?

kelloggs36

Every time the Government want to overhaul their computer system, whichever department it is, they fail to correctly estimate the costs of implementation - EVERY SINGLE TIME. Then to cap it all, they give the contract to EDS or if not directly to them, the company they use is connected to them in some way!! EDS are cr*p! They !!!!!!ed up the CSA, the NHS and now they've been given another Govt project to balls up. I don't know why the Government don't just take the quote and double it, then they would be being a bit more realistic. They need to ensure that the system is fully up and running 100% properly before unleashing it onto the general public, but they don't. There must be much easier ways to deal with the issues, but they just look at the first figure and think they are getting a good deal, but they never do. They are all completely useless!!

kelloggs36

Oh and the ones losing their jobs are NOT the ones who are making such decisions, but the ones on the front line - where the money is supposed to be going to ensure the service remains good! Ha ha ha ha!! What a joke!

skintas_2

yeah i had problem, told them the income of me and my partner, couldnt find prevoius p60 so put income at 0. thinking they would know it, thinking they where all linked together. got a overpayment of £3,500 have to pay it back, well basically not gonna get anything this year or next till its paid back. i did try to tell them i got it all wrong, wont listen..........

System

Unfortunately skintas the everyday staff in the TCO don't have any access whatsoever to the PAYE or Self Assessment systems so they can't find out what your income is. I've worked in both PAYE and Self Assessment and it takes quite a while to become knowledgeable in both systems.I now work in the TCO and it's computer system is a mess in comparison.

The government just about train the TCO staff and will not provide any training for them into the other Tax systems.

You could end up with the situation whereby a tax credit claimant sticks any old lower figure in for their income whilst the PAYE and SA dept knows the exact figure. Unless the compliance section picks it up in one of their spot checks it would pass on through unchallenged.