Tax credits overpayment help!!

Hattie04

Hi, I'm hoping somebody can help me, have been on phone to tax credits this eve but got cut off!
Ok this is quite lengthy!
Last year when I renewed my tax credits I was told we had earned too much and therefore had an overpayment of around 900 which we have been paying back this last year, also last year at the renewal I informed them of my wage (which they got correct) and my husbands wage of £24000 only for them to send me back my tax credits award with his wages stated as £2,400! They said we would get £600 a month and before the letter had even arrived they had put £900 into my account!! I immediately rang them and put it right and asked them to take back the £900 they had paid by mistake but they said no and that it would be sorted at this years renewal! So this last year we have received nothing from tax credits (apart from the one off mistake off 900) and we have been paying them back £75 a month for the previous year (2012/12)

So, I am currently on mat leave and have been since November, a couple of weeks ago I got a provisional letter from them asking if our joint income was below such an amount for 2013/14 (which it's not it was higher) and if this years joint income was likely to be less than such an amount which it is as my income will drop by 8,000 this year with mat leave and am dropping hours when I go back in November. So I rang them last week to give an estimated income for this tax year but they would not allow me to give my actual income for last tax year as they said to just follow the provisional letter?

Well, I've received my letter today for this tax year, again it is all provisional, saying that I'm entitled to £167 for the whole year but they are taking that back from what I owe them from 2012/13 even tho I already have direct debits set up for this?!
But, they are obviously still saying I owe them the £900 from 2013/14 from their one off !!!! up but it is still to be confirmed when the claim for 2013/14 is finalised after the 5th April 2015??? This is what I don't understand, why can't I give them my actual income for last tax year so they can confirm the over payment now so I can start to pay it back now??? Why have I got to wait another year? It will be 2 years then since the mistake? Do they think they are doing me a favour as I am on mat leave?

My main concern is the letter says 'no further payments will be made to you until the overpayment is paid in full' but they are the ones not letting me pay it till after next years renewal, my worry is when I go back to work in November, my childcare costs will be minimum £450 a month, does that mean they will not pay me what I am entitled too because they will not confirm this overpayment until next year??

I am worried sick about this, I want them to just stop faffing Around, take last years income, confirm the overpayment so I can pay it so it does not affect childcare payments come November,

Sorry for the long essay!!
Hope somebody can help!

rachaelpie

Bubbles is right, they cannot do anything until u confirm 2013/14 wages on your renewal. Should be imminant really, although not had mine yet. When they have your confirmed wages for last period, they can estimate this years and work it out correctly.
I know its not much help and its a lot of hassle but u need to wait for your renewal then u can take it from there.
They will deduct any over payments from wtc but I don't believe they take it out of ctc, they are treated differently. Don't worry, ur childcare elements should be fine. They overpaid me last year so stopped my wtc to cover it but never touched my ctc.

Hattie04

Hi everyone, thanks for replying,

The thing is I'm not getting a renewal pack this time, for whatever reason I don't know, maybe because I don't actually receive anything from them, I'm just paying them back what I owe? When I rang and asked if I'm getting a renewal pack I was told that I wouldn't be and to just go off this provisional letter and they will confirm things for 2013/14 AND 2014/15 after the 5th April 2015? I just don't get it, I'm really confused...

Hattie04

Is it classed as a live claim tho if I'm not actually owed anything from them and I'm just paying back an overpayment? If I weren't paying the overpayment i would of had no dealings with them last year if u see what I mean?