Always Check Tax Credit Overpayments

jane.owen37

My niece recently had an overpayment notice from Tax Credit about a six week period from 6/4/2010 to 15/05/2010. She had been in a relationship and it had ended on 15/5/10 when her partner moved out. As an ex-Benefits Agency employee I spoke to Tax Credits on her behalf (she had to be present) and discovered that the overpayment had arisen because their actual income had been £7000 more than they had stated in April 2010 but my niece had changed her employment in September 2010 and then hours of work in February 2011 but was being penalised with an overpayment that had not actually happened. She has now asked for a review of the decision.

My reason for writing this thread is that other Tax Credit recipients may be in the same position as my niece but not have someone like me to work it out for them. I just want to tell other people that they should not just accept that they have actually been overpaid and if they don't understand why they have been then they need to make an appointment with the Citizen's Advice Bureau who should be able to help.