Tax credits are paying me money I am not entitled to

slou

I need some advice,

Basically, I moved to California in August 2012.

I notified tax credits the day I left my job as that is when my circumstances changed. I explained to the man that I was leaving for America. He asked how long I would be here for and I told him I was unsure. When asked if it would be more than a year, I told him yes.

He said they would continue for a few weeks and they would re-calculate and send through a new award.

Fast forward a while, and they were still paying £108 into my account every week. I only have a mobile here which doesn't allow me to make international calls, and as there is no other way to contact them its really hard for me to ring them up.


When I found a way of ringing them, I explained the situation again, that I was no longer in the UK yet they were still paying me money. The guy on the phone said that it was all in the notes on my account and that I was probably in a back log and all was fine.

Fast forward to now, I still get the money paid to me. I don't want it, I don't need it, and I am worried sick that I am going to get into trouble for letting them pay me the money (even though I have told them about it)

I know that I will probably have to pay some of it back, which is fine. I still have most of it anyway. But I'm really worried I will get fined or something.

Can anyone help?

happybucket

Can you write them a letter explaining this to them and send it in registered mail? Or do you have someone in the UK who could represent you here? If you don't need or want the money it can sit in the account they're paying it into then it's there when/if they ask for it back.

GreyCat

I'm fairly sure you don't need to worry about fines. I had a similar situation, told them to stop overpaying me. Payments stopped after a few weeks, then after the end of the tax year (around July i think) they sent a statement showing how much I'd been overpaid. As I didn't qualify for tax credits any more I just had to send a cheque for what I owed. I think if I'd still had some entitlement they'd have adjusted the overpayment against any money I was due in the next tax year.
You've done the right thing in telling them they are overpaying, just need to make sure you don't spend the money before you have to give it back!

feelthelove

slou wrote: »

I need some advice,

Basically, I moved to California in August 2012.

I notified tax credits the day I left my job as that is when my circumstances changed. I explained to the man that I was leaving for America. He asked how long I would be here for and I told him I was unsure. When asked if it would be more than a year, I told him yes.

He said they would continue for a few weeks and they would re-calculate and send through a new award.

Fast forward a while, and they were still paying £108 into my account every week. I only have a mobile here which doesn't allow me to make international calls, and as there is no other way to contact them its really hard for me to ring them up.


When I found a way of ringing them, I explained the situation again, that I was no longer in the UK yet they were still paying me money. The guy on the phone said that it was all in the notes on my account and that I was probably in a back log and all was fine.

Fast forward to now, I still get the money paid to me. I don't want it, I don't need it, and I am worried sick that I am going to get into trouble for letting them pay me the money (even though I have told them about it)

I know that I will probably have to pay some of it back, which is fine. I still have most of it anyway. But I'm really worried I will get fined or something.

Can anyone help?

If you don't want it or need it don't spend any of it just let it sit in the account until you are asked to pay it back if your certain your not entitled to it.
Write a letter and tell them and then ask them how you pay it back , quite simple really .

dundeediva

You won't get into trouble if you have told them, especially if you have told them on several occassions. You will more than likely have to apy it back but you won't be fined or be charged interest.

Mara69

Personally, I'd write to them and tell them - give dates of phone calls etc. Then stick the money in an account and leave it there until they advise you of any overpayment.