Tax credit overpayment

CsuttonR

Ok, so I separated from my husband back in may. Big anxieties about money, went on to fill out all forms, including calling tax credit people to say now a lone parent. They stopped joint claim immediately, and changed it to lone parent. I also then did my renewal over the phone - answering all their questions over phone about my income for last year and my current income. Few weeks later started getting my weekly ctc.
No problem,. Money v tight. But just about managing. No holiday this year!
Got call from bank today to say a large payment was about to go through. From child tax credits ( er, several thousand..,).
I called child tax credits and spoke to man who seemed vague. Was it right? Was this payment to me? ( this used to be our joint bank account, but now only in my name), was it to him, or to us? H didn't know, only that it was due to underpayment based on info received.
I said I'd wait for award notice to come. Then wondered to myself if they had right date that we separated. I phoned again. Yes they did. This woman seemed bit more clued up though and also surprised at the amount. She confirmed I had given right info. But she said I ought to check my partner had done his renewal. ( ie informing them of his earnings).
I've just spoken to him and he said he didn't even do a renewal this time. He got letters saying he needed to renew or his claim/payments could end, but as he knew he was no longer entitled anyway ( as man living alone earning a reasonable amount), he figured that payments would end anyway.
What seems likely is that they are paying this ( to me or us? who?) because they are assuming ( how can they assume?) that he earnt nothing last year and that my earnings were the only household income?
I don't understand how it has worked out like this. I realise this payment must be a mistake, but is it mine, ours or theirs? (Well, I know I didn't do anything wrong and this payment is now in my/but was ours account

oldhand

If its a substantial amount I would be very wary of spending too much of it until you find out for sure preferably in writing that you have received the correct amount,the last thing you need now is a letter from them at a future date saying we made a mistake and you now need to repay all this money.

CsuttonR

No plans to touch it at all, I'm just interested in finding out how it's happened. They def have right info for me ( wouldn't tell me of course what info they had on him) but I'm interested to know what happened as a result of him not bothering to renew ( he just assumed payments would stop, joint claim had already been stopped anyway) . Why would they then assume that him not renewing must have meant they had massively underpaid us?

Horseunderwater

What I think might have happened it this - you separated in May 2013 so single claim was begun, so any payments for this year should be correct. However when you did the renewal - this would be based on perhaps your single income which technically is not right as you were still a couple at the end of the tax year, so you need to include his income on that renewal to get payments corrected. However it will be clearer once you get the paperwork and you can then sort it out with HMRC once you know his end of year income. Problem is that you need to return that money to them, once they tell you right amount that should have been paid to you.

CsuttonR

Horseunderwater wrote: »

What I think might have happened it this - you separated in May 2013 so single claim was begun, so any payments for this year should be correct. However when you did the renewal - this would be based on perhaps your single income which technically is not right as you were still a couple at the end of the tax year, so you need to include his income on that renewal to get payments corrected. However it will be clearer once you get the paperwork and you can then sort it out with HMRC once you know his end of year income. Problem is that you need to return that money to them, once they tell you right amount that should have been paid to you.

Well, every renewal is done by individuals, they never asked me about his income ( nor will they tell me his income or vice versa), I did my renewal at the same time as clarifying with them that we were only just separated.
It's all so confusing.