Tax Credits Renewals - 2014

Happymummy123

I can confirm Blondebubbles that's exactly what has happened with me too. They completely ignored my renewal figures which included the maternity disregard and used the HMRC figures. Very frustrating as I wasted 8 weeks waiting on my renewal being processed only to find out I'd wasted my time filling it out and posting it back because they completely ignored it.

The renewal process would need looked at, it's not as straightforward as it appears. So I'm currently holding to update on the phone, 22 minutes and counting.

Does anyone know how long it will take them to sort this out now? Is it another 8 weeks?

Thanks for your help ��

dublin7

finally i got my letter yesterday to finalise my renewal. i had to confirmthat i was on my 39 weeks of maternity allowance that was it. adviser said thats its ur renewal finalised you will get your award notice in 2 weeks.
i forgot to mention the potential payment.
so i rang back this evening and and asked about the potential payment. the adviser said my payment had gone up by £10.could not get a straight answer again about this.i dont understand tax credits could any explain if this for me thanks.
we earned £9010.70 2013-2014
£18840 2012-2013
we received child tax only for 2012-2013

regor25

I renewed my tax credits on-line on June 11. I have phoned 4 times to inquire about my renewal the last time was on August 20 when I was informed it was being escalated to head office. I was assured my payments would continue while the renewal was processed. I have just checked my bank and I did not receive the payment due today.

Guess I will have to phone them today but looks like my claim has been stopped.

regor25

regor25 wrote: »

I renewed my tax credits on-line on June 11. I have phoned 4 times to inquire about my renewal the last time was on August 20 when I was informed it was being escalated to head office. I was assured my payments would continue while the renewal was processed. I have just checked my bank and I did not receive the payment due today.

Guess I will have to phone them today but looks like my claim has been stopped.

I have just phoned tax credits and it seems that when I phoned on August 20 the advisor restored my claim without telling me. I am now due to get a payment on August 27.

So it seems after waiting over 10 weeks it may now be finally sorted.

person299

regor25 wrote: »

I have just phoned tax credits and it seems that when I phoned on August 20 the advisor restored my claim without telling me. I am now due to get a payment on August 27.

So it seems after waiting over 10 weeks it may now be finally sorted.

:j Great! It is sorted for you!

tea-tart-and-rice_3

after 2 days on-off trying to get through to the helpline, we have just managed to speak to a human. yay! Bad news is - sorry to report- like other posts on here, our renewal has apparently been terminated on the 18th August because their system has not picked it up. Despite being self employed for 5 years the system still had me down as previous employer. We sent this renewal off the same day it arrived through our door, certificate of postage obtained - 5 June.

I have never had these problems since tax credits were first introduced back in early 2000. my stress levels are high right now, not sure how we gonna manage. We were told also that missed payments would be spread over the year and not paid as a lump sum so proper screwed over!

tinytim78

Hi, I know there's some people on here who are quite good with the figures relating to tax credits.

I've tried getting through to them alas, it's taking an age and even when i've got through i've been told our renewal is still to be processed(it was done online 10 weeks ago).

If possible, is anyone able to help give a rough figure as to what will happen with mine and my partners renewal?

12/13 - joint income was £31885
13/14 - was stated as £24852.58 (due to a change in terms of both becoming self employed, our joint income was £6500)
for 14/15, our estimate is £2400.

We have a 7 year old in full time education and our 4 year old will be starting full time education in a couple of weeks(hurrah).

Any help on this would be much appreciated and we'll happily send some cakes to you.

Thanks in advance!

pinkypoopydoo

tea-tart-and-rice wrote: »

We were told also that missed payments would be spread over the year and not paid as a lump sum so proper screwed over!

I was told this too, and the advisor couldn't understand why I was so upset ("at least you'll get the money"). This means I can't even borrow my mortgage money from my parents, as I won't be able to pay it back, without leaving myself short next month.

I have nothing in the bank, after the rest of this months bills are taken. Nothing. (Well, £1.77). How am I supposed to live? If I miss my mortgage payment, my ex can force the sale of the family house. If I don't feed my children they'll either be taken off me or die of malnutrition. The closest foodbank to me is nearly 50 miles away, and I have no petrol in my car. I've eaten two biscuits (at a friends house), and a plate of beans on toast since Tuesday, when I got the news that, because of the f**k-up, I don;t get money, and it could take weeks for them to rectify, as I need to make sure there's food left in the cupboard for the children.

THEIR F**K-UP, NOT MINE. Yet I'm the one who has to suffer.

amiehall

The advisor probably speaks to 10 people an hour all with situations like yours. They have no ability to make you lump sum repayments regardless of your circumstances. Telling them about how you and your children have no money for food and other essentials is simply distressing as this policy has nothing to do with your advisor.

If this helps at all, in my experience restorations are usually much quicker than the official timescale and one payment WILL be pushed out when it is processed in addition to your normal weekly payment. It's if you miss more than one payment in the mean time that we get into the situation where it may be spread over the year.

pinkypoopydoo

Actually, I DIDN'T tell the advisor about not having money to feed my children, however I did question him (to clarify in my own head) that I heard him correctly, re:the lump sum.

I am an intelligent woman. I understand how call centres work, and I understand that those who work in customer service jobs are often reading from a script on-screen, and that whinging, shouting or getting upset at them will have zero effect on the outcome.

However, I repeat. I am left in limbo, for potentially weeks, because HMRC made a mistake. I didn't. I phoned the day my renewal pack came in. I gave them accurate figures, having completed my self assessment online earlier that day. I even tried to phone about 10 days ago, and couldn't speak to a real person, because the magical 8 weeks hadn't passed.

The tax credit renewal system is an utter shambles this year, and if I produced such shoddy work to any of my clients, I would be dumped as not fit for purpose. Those who work in the tax credit office can defend it as much as they want, but over the last few days I have spoken to upwards of 50 people IN MY TOWN who have all experienced some kind of issue with their renewal, from renewal packs not appearing, incorrect figures being used by HMRC on the award, to 3 people (plus me) who have had their claim terminated because HMRC systems didn't capture their details.

And a scripted apology (starting with "I have to read you this, because the system is telling me to") from an advisor who doesn't give a rodents backside about your situation, doesn't go very far at appeasing things, when I'm left in a position where I may lose my house.