Child tax credits, childcare vouchers, concentrix, HELP!

Mimitheminx

Hi

Wondering if anyone can help. Applied for the first time for tax credits last July. Included all of my childcare costs as per form. We were approved and began to recieve child tax credits.
Informed HMRC of summer holiday costs and received a letter from BH LIVE (now concentrix) asking for proof of payments which I sent. I advised clearly in my letter with all of the receipts who I pay for my three children and how. The letter I sent to Concentrix clearly states we pay for one of our childcare providers directly through my partners Royal Mail wages (childcare vouchers). They amended our award. I am self employed.
In Sept we had an increase of childcare costs and informed HMRC and were sent another form from Concentrix. Again i clarified all the information clearly and was not asked to provide evidence from our childminder which we use the vouchers for.
I have now had a letter from Concentrix asking me for all of our income details. I am mega confused. They have always calculated our childcare using my full childcare costs including vouchers but in this letter we arent allowed to add this in. Furthermore I have told them about the vouchers, and they haven't asked for evidence of the childminder payments, and I presumed this is because they would check it with my husbands NI number and because I've told them.
I am mega stressed out-we had a baby in Dec (again advised tax credits) and I have PND so anything slightly bad day related sends me into a tizzy. I called Concentrix straight away yesterday to query everything, they said any dispute is between us and HMRC but it was essentially my genuine mistake and their !!!!-up. I have to scramble together all of our childcare receipts now which I can do and I am going to send my original letters to them too so they can see I have informed them.
More confused though as I can only find online that childcare vouchers only affect working tax credit which we don't recieve. We only receive child tax credit. Anyone have any similar or some advice? I am so worried, and annoyed as it is unlike me to miss any detail such as this originally.
I have checked all the letters I have been sent and nowhere does it say about childcare vouchers, likewise it doesn't specify this on the first form for referral I was sent or on the online calculator.
It doesn't say anything anywhere on the original BH live letters about childcare vouchers either so I am sure I can't be the only person in this position? I would not have knowingly lied about this and I am so worried I will get a penalty. I am also angry that Concentrix have possibly overlooked this twice in all the things I have sent them.

Darksparkle

The childcare element is an element of WTC.

You may not receive WTC due to your income but it is factored into the calculation of your claim.

From reading your post I'm not exactly sure what has happened in your case.

Generally speaking, you only claim tax credits for the childcare costs you have out with any childcare vouchers. Eg your total childcare is £800 per month and you have £243 per month vouchers, you'd claim help with the remaining £557.

This is confirmed in their claim form notes - https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/504819/TC600_Notes_10_15_v2.1.pdf

This is because you have already received tax relief on the childcare vouchers so you don't receive assistance twice. It also reduces the income you declare for tax credit purposes.

The fact they have your husbands NI number isn't relevant as HMRC are not sent any information on your childcare vouchers, they are simply sent income and tax details.

If an error has been made on their part and this has led you to be overpaid then you can dispute the overpayment.

Mimitheminx

Thank you darksparkle. I tried searching for the notes online but couldn't find them and I must have stupidly missed this on my original claim. Its no good feeling sorry for myself but feel like a huge failure. Husband only told me it came out of his wages and I didn't question it so he says takes some of the blame too a didn't specify. I just can't believe it wasn't picked up by bh live or concentric either considering I gave them all of the information as it is such a stupid and expensive mistake.