levi: la vida loca

Westie983

my suggestion is to call the helpline, I had problems as my income for 2014 - 2015 was lower then it is for the coming year as I was on long term sick, and they did the calculations over the phone,

when the award notice comes in check it and if its wrong (figure for this year) then call them back....

I too means that they are overpaying me from last year and they are taking it back from me out of this years monthly payments...

dont forget the 2500 disregard either way, so you income can rise or fall by this amount before the payments change...

but the form bamboozled me too due to my wages fluctuating all of last year

liltdiddylilt

Alright you

I am reading and reading and it is a bit fuzzy to me. Surely they asked for your income for 2014-15 on the original claim? And for the year prior to that?

Don't forget please that the money that was coming in up to the 5th April was based on the previous years money. So March/April 2015 only matters NEXT year.

BUT, the trigger for a change of circumstances considered drastic enough to amend the current years award is £3k. SO... That means that THIS year, 2015-2016 will be based on what you are CURRENTLY earning.

Stop panicking. Ring them up, explain everything. A change in circumstances, coinciding with a drop in hours.... that is all they will be looking at.

And if they did pay you too much money, it is for ONE month. So what did you receive in March/April 15? They will only be due SOME if any of it back. And you have the option of up to 36 monthly instalments to pay it back. You aren't going to owe them hundreds, and they aren't going to take it all at once.

As for this year, same applies. They are basing it off your current years circumstances, or they should be, because you hit the £3k change in circumstances trigger.

STOP PANICKING. And people are right. PM me if you need me hun. I wasn't here - I was watching grown men make each other bleed. But I had my phone... It would have told me, just like it told me Westie had written on my diary

You plum. Please just stop drama llama-ing all over the place. It is, and will be... FINE.

Love you lots, you moose. xx

liltdiddylilt

And just so you know. The renewal forms are always atrocious. If you have more than one change of circumstances in a year they read like illegible rubbish. Actually most of the time they are still rubbish. It is designed to make people read and read and read again to make sure it is right. Hence why the phones are an hour long wait at this time of year. Because no-one trusts themselves to just do a return online if they even got a new pair of shoes in the last year.

The earliest THEY will start looking at last years earnings in terms of your P60 is July. The earliest you would hear about it is August if you are lucky.

PM PM PM... I am going in the bath! xx

Levi-

thanks lilts
bedtime here.but I think I got this. I'll call 'em. or will just post it how I think it's right and deal with it as it comes: so far they have only ever pleasantly surprised me but as eve I believe anything good will come crashing !!
sorry for the llama-attack
loads love xx

Westie983

well sounds like we are all pros with the stoooppid forms :-)

liltdiddylilt

Apart from the change in circumstances Westie. Were do you get 2.5k? My forms always say 3k!!

Levi - it is fine. Don't worry about it. It can be really bizarre and frightening but you just need to put sensible head on, read the help text that comes with it, do your own maths on it, and then do a benefits calculator or two (but remember they base their payments on an entire year even if you have only claimed for one month.. )

The other thing I meant to say is that if they have overpaid you so far for this year, then they will just recalculate for the new annual figures, and go from there, so your tax credits could drop but overall in the year you will still receive the right amount of money.

For instance if you had 2 months at a low rate of income, then it switched up, you call them.. tell them, they recalculate and amend your payments accordingly. That is why on the forms they send through, it tells you how much they have already paid you.

So.. 'total we owe you for this year'
'amount we have already paid to you this year'
'amount left to pay this year'

Followed by the exact amount they will pay you every 4 weeks for the rest of the year. And then helpfully a little box that tells you what the first payment of next year will be.

Read it all with fresh eyes tomorrow. xx

Westie983

its what they said to me on the phone when I spoke about my income fluctuating last year, I have gone down then back up due to OSP, they said you will get the same amount of money inless you income drops then 2.5k either way, so just tell us what you income is on your P60 and we will calculate any overpayment if applicable and work it into your payments...

(I told them in October when I went onto half pay that I thought my income would be X but as I went back to work in March it went back up again to full pay so I have had a little bit of a rollercoaster with my income, and they said not to worry about it as it estimated and confirmed by renewal...

** I do think its strange they never ask for P60, do they get told the figure from HRMC to confirm I am declaring the right figure**

liltdiddylilt

Yes the first time I put in a claim, my income was £300 more than I told them because I to a bonus that was unexpected in my last month before the end of the tax year. They sent me an immediate letter once my P60 was completed saying I had underestimated yadda yadda. Didn't make any difference though!

And it is odd because I had the same conversation with several people when I was navigating the mires of maternity leave and they said £3k! And it has been on paperwork previously. Odd. maybe it differs?! I know it is different for different hours worked. Bah. regardless, Levi has hit the level either way!! xx

Levi-

they have t asked for my p60 either but just said to have it handy for caculations. I don't know how on earth they work anything out but the form is now filled out to the bet of my ability and I will leave it to the TC Gods now..: thanks so much Lilty and Westie xxxx

hummingbird

Just to say hi and I'll be catching up with (I wonder how many pages of) your news asap!!

Love you, lots of hugs xxxx:j