Joint working tax credit overpayment

Dancaw

Hello Has anyone had any success In challenging an over payment? 

Cut a long story short i ended mine and ex wife joint working tax credit when we separated , the final statement came in saying there was an overpayment of £245.. a year later through out covid the balance had jumped to £2000 and i got a balance. 

Since then i have wrote to them for explanation and breakdown at least 4 times and all i get is at statement response of how much i owe, they continually ignore my request for Breakdown of the over payment,  debt management center called and advised i set up repayment plan of £20 untill its resolved.. 

My most recent response has been that  the 3 month period has passed for me to challenge the overpayment..

i feel like they trying cover a error up or have something to hide. Ive even asked if my ex wife had continued the claim and changed the bank account and continued to recieve the benefit? And if so am im being held responsible for the full amount? Surely i should be liable for only 50% of overpayment as it was a joint claim? 

peteuk

If youve got an overpayment for a joint account, then it is likely that your ex has the same amount to pay.  IN cases like this they split it between the claimants.  Regardless of whose bank account it was paid into.

When was the overpayment?  There is a time limit on when you can challenge unless this is the first youve heard of it.  But then you will need to argue the point.

Double check when it was for and for who the claim was. 

Icequeen1

Once a tax credit claim is finalised, it cannot be changed unless HMRC open an enquiry or later under special discovery rules or if you appeal against it. So if the £245 was on a final statement then you would have been notified if it had changed. 

I would phone the tax credit helpline, ask them to open up your claim history and then explain which year the £2000 overpayment relates to, ask them if it was shown on the final award notice for that year and if not why did it change. It may be that the other amounts are for other years. 

If it was a joint claim, it should be split 50/50 for debt recovery in most cases