MSE News: Tax credit renewal packs being sent out, but phone lines already jammed

SpideressUK

I spent 45 mins on hold before getting through today as I wanted to update them with the details from my husband's P60 issued in April for the 14/15 tax year. When I finally got through they told me they cannot update anything unless I have my renewal pack (which I do not yet have). I said to them surely it would be better to update my data with ACTUAL figures now to ensure that any overpayment or underpayment is adjusted as quickly as possible rather than letting it snowball for months until I get my renewal pack but was told that they were unable to do anything at all until I get my renewal pack.

Also I tried the "Renew Your Tax Credits online" which has an option for "Changes in your circumstance" and got no where as it seems that is unable to be done until you have your renewal pack.....

Just out of interest I tried the "start now" button and got to the place where it wants to verify my identity. I have been there before recently when I tried to claim married tax allowance and inspite of the fact it SEEMS to allow you to use a passport OR a photo driving licence in reality you can get no where unless you have a valid passport and mine expired a month or two ago.

skintdadof2

Can someone explain this. I am currently paying back overpaid tax credits - basically I received a bonus at the end of a year that meant my salary was more than originally expected and declared in good faith. Whilst they worked out that I had been overpaid they continued to pay me the following year despite me telling them that the same bonus is likely to happen again the following year..it did so I was over paid again despite telling them. Anyway, I had that argument a couple of years ago, and accepted that I had to pay them back acknowledging the irony that I was now worse off for claiming for a benefit. However it has just struck me....the tax credits were paid to me untaxed but the overpayments I am paying back are essentially taxed as I am paying them via direct debit from my bank account. So have I got this wrong but am I essentially paying more back because I am being taxed on my salary??

tkwad

Ive not had a renewal pack but my tax credits have plummeted since this week. I am sure this is caused by real time reporting to hmrc of the last years income, but what gets me is that since July last year my partner has been self employed as he was made redundant..his business is ticking over but its only just ticking over and if it wasnt for the fact he got redundancy pay and didnt spend it he would have had to declare himself insolvent for that money is essentially ticking the business over as cash flow becomes more of an issue due to lag in paying our creditors and our debtors paying us, but thats business....I dont know what im going to do reagrding this as we havent yet completed books for the first year in business so dont know what his pre tax profit will be, but as of this week I have lost £50 per week...its really not a good place to be

Bear_time

Tkwad....

You can call once you have renewed and inform them of this change. If you feel you are going to make a loss, you can declare as "0" income.

Explain your circumstances accurately. I made a big loss last year after I estimated 20k earnings. I didn't ring and change my income as even though I saw which way it was going, I just thought I would wait.

I've basically lived off my TC and my savings.

When I arranged childcare last year, I recall the chap saying " are you sure you can afford these nursery fees?" ( just before I declared SE status.
Do they not think that * sone people do have savings and use these to pay for nursery. Also I have no mortgage as it's paid off but they seem to think some people are being deceptive, not that some people may have low overheads. Im always above board with stuff like this as it's a nightmare without being deceptive.

I'm sure if you inform them, your payments will change. Do you have an overpayment at all?

Bella56

NIGHTMARE - we've been trying to get thru for days as a huge mistake has been made by them in that they've taken off DH's income so now we're getting large amounts of Child Tax Credit & Working Tax Credit that we're not due! Phonecalls are automatically cut off from 08:00 - but that is when the phone lines open??! I keep trying, but each time it says they are too busy and I'm cut off!

zsazsa613

HMRC do not answer phone calls from ordinary people who sometimes wait up to an hour without getting through for either advice or to report a change of circumstances.
However, they answer almost immediately on any of the Agent's or Accountant's lines. Try it, you will be amazed. However, they will not deal with you when they find out you don't have an agent's code.
So, basically, HMRC are forcing ordinary people to pay for an expensive accountant just so they can get through.
I have been trying without success for several months to get through to HMRC as the Director of a company which is not yet trading. HMRC, not having heard from me, kindly passed me on to Concentrix, who have sent me horrible threats of cutting off my working tax credits, which are my only income while I finalise my product designs for manufacture.
Concentrix are sleazy, underhand, corrupt bullies, paid handsomely by the grossly inefficient HMRC who cannot handle their own workload.
Concentrix state continually that:
- Their system is down
- They have no email addresses
- Their supervisors are all in 'Team Leader's Meetings'
Concentrix treat you like a criminal but it is at the instruction of HMRC who give this dodgy company a 'free reign' to humiliate, threaten and bully the people who are struggling the most, like single mums. :mad:

Claireannejames

barbedhook wrote: »

I ring at 8 in the morning when people are getting kids ready for school and people are going to work. I always seem to get straight through.might just be lucky

Used to be. Tried at 8am twice this week and no luck. All bets are off once those renewal packs go out.

Claireannejames

blondebubbles wrote: »

Call at 7.45am

But it's not supposed to be open until 8am. Do you have experience of getting through at 7.45?

Claireannejames

blondebubbles wrote: »

I don't claim tax credits so have not had to call.

However I know that the lines unofficially open at 7.45am. That is why there is already a queue at 8.

I'll give it a try, thank you. Hope noone else is following this thread lol.

Seriously though it's beyond a joke. I am always absolutely scrupulously honest at all times with tax credit and housing benefit and frankly, it would be easier just to bloody lie, than this incredibly painful and time consuming hassle to keep both updated with changes in circumstance and to keep cross referencing the changes in tax credits to the housing benefit people. I work full time, and it's ridiculous that I have to rely on all this nonsense just to make ends meet for me and my family. Plus, despite being telling both about any and every change absolutely promptly, I'm constantly paying back over payments on both due to their stupidly slow and inefficient operations. The fact you cannot get through on the phone at this time of year, year after year after year, is utterly ridiculous.

too_much_debt

I rang at 7.45 once and got a message saying they were not open until 8am. I rang at 7.55 and got through after a few minutes waiting.