overpayment of child tax credits

tibbers

Hi all,
Im having an awful time trying to get to speak to someone about my overpayment of child tax credits.
I ring the helpline, go through all the options, and at the end of the options the automated respons says it cant help me on this number, please ring blah blah blah.
So i ring that number, and being as i am disputting/discussing my outstanding balance, they cant help me and i have to ring the original number i rang in the first place!
I just keep going round in circles haha!
All i want to do is speak to someone.....
I have already sent a dispute form to hmrc in october, but i have had a notice to pay today, so could really do with sorting it.
Anyone else had this problem?

MakeAChange_2

hello tibbers,

i am having a similar problem with them today about an over payment that i do not think i owe as it was their 'adviser' who advised me incorrectly !!!!!

i too have filled in a form and sent it to them, then a lady called me a few weeks ago and i asked her if she could put her response in writing as i struggle to understand things and have to go over and over stuff, and i might need someone to go through it with me, she said ''well it will go down as dealt with now as i have contacted you''. i again asked for it in writing and have still had nothing!

so iv asked for the address to contact them as i want my calls to be listened to and i want someone to go over all the incorrect advise that they have given me from adviser to adviser so that it can be dealt with fairly. because i do not think i should have to pay an over payment when it was them who caused it in the first place.

tibbers

In my case, i was recieving child tax credits. My child left school june last year to which i informed them of. She signed up for college and was due to start on the 3rd of september. She didn't go the first day, nor the second, (i thought it was just first day nerves as she was bullied at school in the later months), so when she didnt go the 3rd day, she told me she didn't want to go at all. I rang them on that day and informed them she didn't attend college at all.
But, on the 8th september, i recieved 2 payments from them totalling £55... I couldn't get through to them then nevermind now!
I never had a new renewal notice either.
Im hoping they will ring me when they deal with my dispute form...

Johnny.99

Are you calling the Tax Credit Helpline initially? The 0345 300 3900 number? If so, at the automated stage, don't choose any option regarding an overpayment. Just pick something general, that you're calling about your Tax Credit award.

What number are you being given to call after that? Is it the Debt Management section?

tibbers

yes im calling the helpline, i blagged my way through the automated options and was put in a queue, unfortunately after 7mins and 24 secs, i got " sorry, all our advisors are extremely busy, please call back later, Good bye!" grrrr...
The number i get after is 03453021429, this is to make a payment, set up a payment, or option 3, discuss/dispute overpayment... at which point i get directed back to the original helpline number... swings and roundabouts!!

Johnny.99

Unfortunately you just need to bite the bullet on hanging on with the TC helpline. They are the only people who can discuss the overpayment in any depth. Even then, they probably won't be able to tell you much more than if your dispute has been received, and what caused it.

It might be be better to try first thing in the morning, or middle of the afternoon when the school run is on. It'll still be busy, but maybe not quite as busy.

This advice never goes down well, but in the meantime it might be an idea to speak to the payment line and set up a payment plan. It's not an acceptance of the debt. If you don't the case will be passed to the Debt Management section after the Notice To Pay time limit runs out. You'll then receive a letter from the DM section who will tell you that unless you arrange payment, the debt will go to a private Debt Collection Agency. And there's no guarantee any dispute you submit will be sorted before that happens. And once it goes that far, HMRC won't have anything more to do with it, unless the DCA send it back.

MakeAChange_2

hi guys/girls,

my situation is this,,,, il give you the quick version.

last year me and my partner was both working and had some help towards childcare costs. partner had a really bad injury, i rang tax credits to inform them about change in working hours and the current situation etc and they told me because partner was too unwell to get kids to school we would still be eligible for help with childcare costs.

now they have totally backtracked on what they advised and said we have had an over payment, saying that partner should have taken care of kids! i would 100% agree if my partner could of actually stood up then of course we would of preferred the kids not in childcare and actually at home, but this option was not possible at that time.

and if i hadnt contacted them to inform them of our situation then i could understand why they would do this, but as they advised me and then continued our payments etc, so i dont think its fair at all

Icequeen99

MakeAChange wrote: »

hi guys/girls,

my situation is this,,,, il give you the quick version.

last year me and my partner was both working and had some help towards childcare costs. partner had a really bad injury, i rang tax credits to inform them about change in working hours and the current situation etc and they told me because partner was too unwell to get kids to school we would still be eligible for help with childcare costs.

now they have totally backtracked on what they advised and said we have had an over payment, saying that partner should have taken care of kids! i would 100% agree if my partner could of actually stood up then of course we would of preferred the kids not in childcare and actually at home, but this option was not possible at that time.

and if i hadnt contacted them to inform them of our situation then i could understand why they would do this, but as they advised me and then continued our payments etc, so i dont think its fair at all

It is probably more helpful to start your own topic so you get replies.

The first thing you need to do is independently check whether they are correct - was your partner off work sick? What was he claiming? Was he getting paid from work? How long was he off? That will help answer the question.

If they are wrong, then you need to appeal.

If they are correct - then you need to dispute on the grounds of wrong advice and request a copy of the phone call.

IQ

[Deleted User]

Something to note:

The Tax Credits helpline are the people to discuss WHY or HOW MUCH you're being asked to paying back.

Debt Management are only interested in HOW you pay it back - they don't deal with the WHY or the WHAT.