Tax Credits "Overpayment"

Mumto3cheekymonkeys

Hi all I am new to this and have an extremely long Story so please be patient with me and I look Forward to some comments.

Here I go!

In April 2009 after having my 2 boys in quick succession (just under a year apart by 1 day) I made the the decision to go back to work. I had been having a really hard time with my Bipolar disorder and myself and my doctor agreed that going to work would improve my mental health. I looked and found it easy to get interviews but never got a job I believe was because I had children and was deemed unreliable. I finally found a job myself and my chosen path was Domiciliary Care which is basically caring for people in there own homes, the downfall you only get paid for the time spent with clients.
At the time I was a single parent as problems had occurred with my partner however he was still a fixture in our lives and helped me out where he could.
My grandparents had given me the money to do my driving lessons and my ex had help to buy me a car and pay my insurance as he felt me working would give our boys a better future.
I passed me test in 25.8.2009 and started work in september.
I was chuffed I could finally get off benefits and provide for my boys like I had been taught. You don't get nothing without working hard for it!
For me to work I had to put my boys in a nursery and the one closest to me and convenient for my job was private and required a months upfront which I had to find myself, luckily my ex partners dad offered me the money so I was all set.
Due to my circumstances I was entitled to the childcare element of working TC and this was the full 80%.
I first started doing 3 mornings a week totalling 19 1/2 hours per week. The first few weeks were fine but then as my boys had been around other children they often got sick and you can bet if one of them was sick 1 week the other was sick the next! I think over 4 months I couldn't have worked a full week and I informed TC of this and they told me it was fine and would even out putting my mind at ease. After xmas I picked up more hours for a few weeks then everything went downhill. I had clients either passing away, going into hospitals or even into homes and all the carers found that our hours had been reduced leaving me being given only 16 hours per week. 1 lady often cancelled her call leaving me doing 15 1/2 hours per week and I was unable to get overtime as all carers were holding onto there work.
I once again informed TC who told me not to worry as long as I was being given 16 hours a week.
By this time me and my partner and reconciled and decided to make a fresh start, he was unable to move in with us as it would be overcrowding so we started looking for somewhere bigger. I informed TC of this but I was still classed as single due to living alone. 2010 was going to be me and my family's year and we were looking forward to the future together.
In feb 2010 we were informed that my partners mum had cancer and she was given 12-18 weeks to live. This had devastated me and I sank into a deep depression unable to cope with the boys and was signed off work for a few weeks and put on very strong meds.
I informed TC of this and they told me not to worry and that I was still entitled to my childcare being paid as I was still employed. This helped as I still had to pay my childcare. When I faced the facts I decided that I would care for her so put the boys in full time nursery and went to work the 16 hours minimum.
She sadly passed May 2010.
A few weeks later I received a letter From TC telling me that I was not entitled to the childcare element as the average hours worked was only 14 per week and I was to pay the whole amount back! £9135! I had only earnt little over £6000 that year and was in shock that they were expecting me to pay £3000 for the privilege of getting off my bum and going to work and trying to provide for my children.
They are telling me I should have just not bothered and claimed benefits.
This has caused me great distress and I am now back on a stronger dose of my Bipolar medication.
My circumstances have changed, we are still together have had a 3rd son and have a mortgage and re mortgage on the property his mum left us.
We have little spare money and don't see why we should have to pay it back.
All David Cameron goes on about is a better society where people work and I agree with him to a certain degree, however how can he expect people to go to work when childcare is so expensive and the TC system is so flawed?
I have recently got a new job in a home where the hours will be more stable so we don't have this problem again, however I fully plan to fight this all the way and even goto court.


Thank you for reading my very long post. Please offer any advice or post your own stories.