HMRC Dispute, Tax credits

Stevens247

I am new to this so I may be posting this in the wrong section, Please make me aware if so.
Anyway on to my tale of absolute frustration with the old reliable HMRC.
During 2012 My partner and I moved in together, she was claiming Tax Credits as I was an apprentice and she wasn't working at the time due to the birth of our two twin daughters. In 2013 I rang HMRC to tell them I had completed my Apprenticeship and my income would increase and being incredibly naive to the system wether I needed to inform them of my new income, they told me I did and took my data on board. I further rang a month later in June 2013 to explain my salary would increase further and the same conversation happened and `i was assured that I would not be having to repay any money as it is automatically sorted. roll on a year and they informed me that I would be required to pay back 5000 pounds. I contacted them to complain and explain what had happened and was told to send off a dispute.
I downloaded the form, filled it in with a letter and posted using Special delivery, I continued to ring for a catch up but got told it would be a while. Cue two months forward to around September.... I phone again (recording these calls now myself) and explain that I have heard nothing and I have checked online and the letter was received on June 10th 2014 (signed for) but they hadn't acknowledged the receiving the letter nor took any steps, at this point I explained I would not be repaying any until the dispute was over, which was accepted and confirmed with their representative. By December 2014 I still had nothing, at this point I contacted my local MP, Explained the dispute and he got on the case, I then received a copy of some phone calls, Ones which I did not request, I rang my Mp's secretary and explained the error and she assured me she would sort it out, again phone calls where made and still nothing.
Having had to wait circa 40 minutes a time in a queue on each phone call i left the ball in HMRC's court as I wasn't paying a penny back until they pulled a finger out.
Then on the 20th of August 2015 I received a letter from HMRC saying if my case wanted reviewing I would need to start paying back the money within 7 Days of the letters date, which was the 13th of August.
I rang quickly explained the situation and that it should be documented I wasn't paying until the dispute was settled to then be told if I didn't set up a payment plan then Debt Collectors would be visiting my property, So I was pretty much over a barrel. I set the payment the began contacting HMRC again. Being told also that I should not have been told it was okay to stop paying and it was my responsibility.

This is the information I was then told. I will bullet point this as I am sure my waffling isn't what you want to be reading.
1. My letter was indeed received the 10th Of June 2014
2. My dispute didn't process nor was it logged until February 2015.
3. I had to await a call back.

Upon getting a call back I was then told that although my Dispute wasn't logged until February 2015 They were not pursuing it due to the correspondence made by my MP in December 2014. The person handling my case had not even acknowledged my letter.

I have the majority of this farce recorded and to be frankly honest it is making me and my partner ill to even think of it.

i was wondering if anyone who takes the time to read this can cast any light on what i can do as i feel very stuck right now.

Thank you if you took the time to read this.

Guest101

1: learn that debt collectors have no power. Visiting your property? And? Close the door and enjoy your day.
2: write things, always. Don't rely on phone calls
3: check if the amount is actually owed, rather than claimed. Ie work out how much you should've received and how much you did receive.

[Deleted User]

Not sure if this site is still active but its got to be worth a try

http://www.taxcc.org/

Hope you have more success with a similiar case than I did. After being told I disputed the £3k they said I owed, and being told they couldn't take the money from any subsequent tax credit payments.., they found a way to do exactly this it seems. I also had debt collectors calling me at one point. All because they didn't record a phone call I made properly.

It does look like the site is not being updated now.., but still has useful information on it.

You could try http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/forumdisplay.php?160-Benefits-and-HMRC