too dangerous by far

happygolucky88

I have had a hell of a time with tax overpayments. I got a letter in 05 saying that I would have to pay 1500 back as I didn't get the form in on time when in fact I was one day late, phoned them up and did the form on the phone and the guy said because it was only one day I will not be charged for over payments, then it came through the door a month later andof course they denied all knowledge of saying what they did. I appealed explaining that it was not my fault the form was in late and explained the reasons why plus what they had said on the phone but they refused my appeal and said I did not have the right to appeal again, which I later found out to be untrue. I didn't hear anything else on the matter so I left it. Then in 06 the form was in late because I didn't even know about the deadline until 3 days prior and was working on a magazine in London so was out of my city to arrange proof but I made some calls but then proof didnt come for 3 weeks so i sent it. I didnt hear anything for a couple of months and then tax credits claimed to not have received it so I had to go get the proof all over again and then send it all in again and then I had my tax credits set up again. I didnt hear anything about the debt I apparently owed them.

Then out of the blue in the beginning of this year 07 I had a message on my phone saying to ring inland revenue about an urgent message. Had just gone into self employment that same month so I thought it was something to do with that but turned out to be about tax credits saying that "you case is advancing very rapidly" which I took to mean theyd have a court order to get another way to claim the money very soon but I hadn't even had notification about the 05 debt since that initial letter in 05 (now 07) and had no idea I was being charged the second time 06 at all. So I said can you tell me how much I owe and they said around 3500!!!! I asked to arrange payments because I dont have that sort of money so they said because they like the arrears paid within a year I would have to pay something like 250 pounds per week!!!! So I told them I simply do not have that sort of money so they told me to give them my in comings and outgoings and they agreed to let me pay £20 per month but this means I will be paying until 2020!!

I wish I did not need to rely on tax credits as it too dangerous a system for low income families by far.