tax credits fiasco

cameronb

Hi this thread is for 2 things:
Firstly to share experiences of the working and child tax credits system and how people have managed when told they have been overpaid;
and, secondly to let you know that I have set up an e-petition calling for all overpayments debts to be scrapped because the system is so rubbish.

The petition is titled "write off all tax credits overpayments" and can be found on the e-petitions gov uk site. I'd post a link but MSE wont let me cos I'm a newbie!

Please sign and share in your social networks.

Thanks!

davehughes182

Surely writing off ALL tax credit overpayments based on your bad experience is taking it a little far. Not to mention it will never be agreed to. At the end of the day, its a debt you owe. Unless there was an error made by HMRC to cause the overpayment, you would be required to repay.

I dont have experience of being overpaid by TC, but I do know When you have been overpaid by TC for what ever reason, they try to arrange the best way for you to repay the debt without causing too much financial hardship.

cameronb

Yeah sorry I should have put my own story in too, I contacted HMRC for help when filling in the forms and filled them according to their advice. I was at that point unemployed as my other half had just been made redundant and we had to relocate. I'd never been unemployed before so I wanted to make sure I did everything correctly. I ticked the box on the form indicating I was in receipt of jobseekers allowance. Apparently the computer system when reading this box ignores all other relevant information on the form. I had put in my previous year's salary and my fiance's and he at the point of application had found a job. Now, here's the rub, if the system had taken into account all of the information provided we would not have been overpaid at all, also as I was later told I should not have ticked the jobseeker box because the allowance I was in receipt of was contribution based jobseekers allowance (there is no box for this on the form). I totally understand that it is a debt and that ordinarily debts should be repaid but I am by no means the only person who has suffered because of this ridiculous system which is why I want people to take a stand against it at least to encourage reform. I mean what exactly is the point in providing all of your information as they so vehemently require when that information is not going to be taken into account in the first place.
sorry for the rant but I am quite mad about this.
thanks for your reply though.

cameronb

Showing an error by the HMRC is so much easier said than done!

Icequeen99

cameronb wrote: »

Yeah sorry I should have put my own story in too, I contacted HMRC for help when filling in the forms and filled them according to their advice. I was at that point unemployed as my other half had just been made redundant and we had to relocate. I'd never been unemployed before so I wanted to make sure I did everything correctly. I ticked the box on the form indicating I was in receipt of jobseekers allowance. Apparently the computer system when reading this box ignores all other relevant information on the form. I had put in my previous year's salary and my fiance's and he at the point of application had found a job. Now, here's the rub, if the system had taken into account all of the information provided we would not have been overpaid at all, also as I was later told I should not have ticked the jobseeker box because the allowance I was in receipt of was contribution based jobseekers allowance (there is no box for this on the form). I totally understand that it is a debt and that ordinarily debts should be repaid but I am by no means the only person who has suffered because of this ridiculous system which is why I want people to take a stand against it at least to encourage reform. I mean what exactly is the point in providing all of your information as they so vehemently require when that information is not going to be taken into account in the first place.
sorry for the rant but I am quite mad about this.
thanks for your reply though.

This should be easy to deal with if you get evidence. Have you requested copies of the phone calls you made to HMRC? In the specific phone call - did you say 'jobseeker's allowance' or 'contribution based JSA'?

If the latter, then get the recording and you will be able to argue for it to be written off.

That said, this isn't really HMRC's fault. The form clearly says tick the box if you are getting 'income based jobseeker's allowance' so why would you tick it if you were not?

Also CBJSA is mentioned on the phone under income.

IQ

cameronb

To blondbubbles and ice queen, thanks for the input, I didn't know at the time that there were 2 types of JSA as I had never claimed benefits before which is why I called to make sure I filled the form correctly, on the form that I filled there was only one type (of JSA) specified, they sent me a copy of this. Also no I haven't requested phone conversations I will definitely do this.
thanks!

Icequeen99

cameronb wrote: »

To blondbubbles and ice queen, thanks for the input, I didn't know at the time that there were 2 types of JSA as I had never claimed benefits before which is why I called to make sure I filled the form correctly, on the form that I filled there was only one type (of JSA) specified, they sent me a copy of this. Also no I haven't requested phone conversations I will definitely do this.
thanks!

Was the one type income based JSA? the reason only one is specified is because that is the only one they need to know about at that point.

So if you didn't know there were two types of JSA - what exactly did you ask when you phoned? Presumably if they mentioned contribution based instead of income based you would have said you weren't sure which one you were getting and they would have told you to get the letter from DWP.

I am struggling to understand your story. I understand this is a confusing point, i have had about 20 of these cases over the last few years on this very point - but if you want to win a dispute you need to really clear on the facts.

You say now that you didn't know there were two types - so can you clarify what exactly you asked when you called and what they said?


IQ

Caz3121

this information is available online, you may also have received it with your application http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/forms/tc600-notes.pdf

It has instruction for completing P7 where the question is "are you receiving income-based JSA" the notes state
5.1 Social security benefits
Do not put 'X' here if you:
• are getting contribution!based Jobseeker’s Allowance

You filled in incorrectly which has resulted in the overpayment

Icequeen99

Caz3121 wrote: »

this information is available online, you may also have received it with your application http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/forms/tc600-notes.pdf

It has instruction for completing P7 where the question is "are you receiving income-based JSA" the notes state
5.1 Social security benefits
Do not put 'X' here if you:
• are getting contribution!based Jobseeker’s Allowance

You filled in incorrectly which has resulted in the overpayment

Caz - to be fair to the OP the part about CBJSA is recent. But it has always said income based.

IQ