leaving tax credits

jayzee77

Hello

Would appreciate any help please.
Was in a claim last year. Did the renewal etc and received letter to say so. Also received letter to say new award for this year. Now we don't want to claim for this tax year year. As we have got into over payments before and find whole process stressful. The annual award from this April to next would be £1500. I called tax credits on Monday and said I would like to opt out as we would not want to get into more over payments and hubby income may take us over previous years p60 and could we please withdraw. I was told no and to carry on claiming! Was told there is no way to opt out.....hubby works I don't. At home with baby. I even said his income may take us over and could I give updated income. She said I was still eligible. We don't want to claim it and want to be self sufficient. Any advice please anyone? I don't want to build up over payments and we basically don't want to claim as previous stress of having to pay back.

FBaby

Just transfer everything you receive into a separate account ready to transfer back when asked.

jayzee77

Hello

Thanks for reply. I have only had 2 payments so far. I have saved them. I don't understand why they won't let me withdraw? Surely if u want to opt out you should be able to. Thanks

lovinituk

Just tell them you are now earning more than you actually are. Then when you do your end of tax year final declaration they should owe you.

Roxie

If you notify 'a change of circumstances' I thought they stopped the payments and then re-evaluated? Can you say there has been a 'change' in husbands employment/income and you no longer wish to claim? Seems a crazy system when they keep paying someone who doesn't want it!

jayzee77

Hello I rang and said he will be earning more this year than last and raised his figure by £5000 and even with company car allowance taking income to £49000 they still reckon we r entitled as 4 children....none in childcare etc. How ridiculous. ..I know the system is showing we are eligible even if it's £ 35 a week.....I said we want to opt out no she insisted we have to claim it. I even said we didn't apply to receive for this tax year and as far as we were concerned last year was finished and that would be it. Find it so silly that we can't leave! Thanks all.

Suarez

I could make use of the money if you don't want it. I'll even complete the annual forms for you

Guineapigsqueaks

I decided not to claim for 2014/15 and found following advice from HMRC:
What to do if you decide to leave tax credits. You can do this by contacting the tax credit helpline or writing to the tax credit office.
You need to get in touch by 31 July if you want your claim to stop for the current tax year. If you get in touch at any other time, your claim will carry on until the end of the current tax year. For example, if you got in touch in September 2013, your claim would carry on until 5 April 2014, when it would end.
If you want your claim to stop for the current tax year, you may be asked to repay any money you shouldn't have had since 6 April.

I contacted helpline at end of March to say I didn't want to claim for 2014/15. This was just after I had received my last payment for 2013/14, but a couple of weeks before my first payment for 2014/15. They stopped payments straight away so no payments received for 2014/15 and I received a letter to say I had been withdrawn from tax credits. I then had to wait for my "renewal" letter (even though I wasn't renewing) to give my final income for 2013/14, so that that year could be finalised. That letter clearly stated that I had been withdrawn from tax credits for 2014/15.

You should be able to ask HMRC to stop making payments to you with immediate effect at any time so that you don't build up overpayments. You just can't end your claim for the current tax year unless you've told them by 31 July.

I hope that helps.

Guineapigsqueaks x

jayzee77

Hello

Thanks I contacted them this week and quoted as you said to withdraw before 31 July and I was told no. It doesn't exist. I had read on hmrc website you can withdraw whenever for personal reasons etc. We want to be self sufficient and hmrc are not listening to that. My 2013/14 claim ended in sept 2013 and no further payments were made to us although claim still active till 5th April 2014. So I don't know why they automatically renewed us for this year if we weren't in a live claim. They told me system is saying we are eligible and I said yes it may do but we do not wish to claim. So frustrating. Even increased hubby pay and that still showed a payment. At my wits end. I am saving money to one side to return back to them. Thanks

lovinituk

If they refuse to do anything then just put the money aside and earn interest on it and wait until they ask for it back. There's can't be anything stressful about that.

jayzee77

I have put aside. Just annoying that it's an active claim and if things change through year they have to be updated. Would rather be out of it. Thanks all