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Over payments and no response
squirehorse
Posts: 43 Forumite
A few months back Tax Credits send us a letter saying we owed them nearly £2000 in over payments! We havent had any payments for over 2 years anyway as they over paid us. My husband was self employed and didn't earn much, then became employed in September 2009, to which i immediatly informed them. I havent worked since becoming redundant in Dec 2012 (also informed them of this) and have since fallen pregnant with 2nd child due any time now!
On finally getting through to them on the phone and being extremely stressed and upset they said, looking at the records it appears the over payment being claimed is partly due to our fault, but also partly theirs! They claim they didn't update their records in enough time but i didn't understand how that could be 'partly' our fault, they didn't explain things clearly at all and i was made to feel like i was stupid! I was told to write them a letter.
So i did this, asked them to explain to me in plain English writing why the over payment was owed and also advised that, as i was now out of work and we were/ are barely making ends meet (the only benefit i am apparently entitled to is and claim is Child Benefit) we could only offer to repay a small amount per month and i asked if we could delay any 'proceedings' until the new baby was born, so that if we were then entitled to extra tax credits could the repayments be taken out of that. I wrote to them in May. Heard nothing since. Wrote again in July - no reply.
I am quite worried about this. Why would they ignore me, has anyone else had this? All i want to to know where i stand, i dont suddenly want a Court Summons or something! I have keep a copy of the letters i have sent but didn't send them recorded. Should i send a recorded letter? No point in ringing them as it takes sooooo long for someone to answer, then they dont seem to know what they are doing! Any advise?
On finally getting through to them on the phone and being extremely stressed and upset they said, looking at the records it appears the over payment being claimed is partly due to our fault, but also partly theirs! They claim they didn't update their records in enough time but i didn't understand how that could be 'partly' our fault, they didn't explain things clearly at all and i was made to feel like i was stupid! I was told to write them a letter.
So i did this, asked them to explain to me in plain English writing why the over payment was owed and also advised that, as i was now out of work and we were/ are barely making ends meet (the only benefit i am apparently entitled to is and claim is Child Benefit) we could only offer to repay a small amount per month and i asked if we could delay any 'proceedings' until the new baby was born, so that if we were then entitled to extra tax credits could the repayments be taken out of that. I wrote to them in May. Heard nothing since. Wrote again in July - no reply.
I am quite worried about this. Why would they ignore me, has anyone else had this? All i want to to know where i stand, i dont suddenly want a Court Summons or something! I have keep a copy of the letters i have sent but didn't send them recorded. Should i send a recorded letter? No point in ringing them as it takes sooooo long for someone to answer, then they dont seem to know what they are doing! Any advise?
0
Comments
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Send another letter enclosing your first letter(s) and send it recorded, then you know they have got a copy of them all. Give it a couple of weeks and then keep calling them to chase it up.
Your dates look a bit dodgy - December 2012 is in the future!
Thinking critically since 1996....0 -
Ah...yes, baby brain, Dec 2011!! Thanks.0
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When i contacted them last week, they said all disputes etc were being put on hold until they had sorted out the awards for this year. so they must be quite a way behind.0
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