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Child Tax Credit

Good Day all,

I have a question for you.

My wife and I split up for a while last year and I moved out. My wife told the Tax credits people and they increased her payment for the kids. When we made up and got back together we sent a leeter to them letting them know of the changes and now they are asking for £700 of us.

Can they do this? My wife only told them we split up she didnt ask for the extra money.

Also we need to pay it all in one go and by the end of the month. Can we do something about this?

Hope someone can help
:oCurrent Debt £38,000:o


Comments

  • sarahluv
    sarahluv Posts: 162 Forumite
    phone up. ask for an explanation.

    also you automatically get 12 months to pay back to overpayment.
  • System
    System Posts: 178,412 Community Admin
    10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Good Day all,

    I have a question for you.

    My wife and I split up for a while last year and I moved out. My wife told the Tax credits people and they increased her payment for the kids. When we made up and got back together we sent a leeter to them letting them know of the changes and now they are asking for £700 of us.

    Can they do this? My wife only told them we split up she didnt ask for the extra money.

    Also we need to pay it all in one go and by the end of the month. Can we do something about this?

    Hope someone can help

    Sorry but when you and your wife split up and she told TCO they terminated your old joint claim and she made a completely new application in her own name. That's the way the system works and that's why she got more money because basically there was less money coming into her household. Now you are back together they should terminate her single claim and you should make another new joint claim together.

    You need to clarify with TCO whether the £700 overpayment is on your original joint claim or her single claim and ask them in writing for a written explanation of how the overpayment arose.
    This is a system account and does not represent a real person. To contact the Forum Team email forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com
  • Hello again.

    The overpayment is on her single claim as they are now asking for the money back that she claimed for being single.
    :oCurrent Debt £38,000:o


  • System
    System Posts: 178,412 Community Admin
    10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    If they are asking for all the money she claimed as a single person then that would lead me to believe that when you made your new joint claim it was started the day after you split for the first time.

    You need to clarify what are the start and end dates of each of the 3 claims to ensure there are no gaps, overlaps or errors.
    This is a system account and does not represent a real person. To contact the Forum Team email forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com
  • Hello again,

    There are no overlaps. This is how it went. We had a Joint claim last year and have dont since we started it.
    Then when I moved out she phoned them and told them what had happened. When we got back together I phoned them to ask them to reduce the payments back to the original.
    They then said that they could not do that because it was a different claim. So they stopped that one and sent us a new claim form. This is when they sent the bill for my Wife's single claim.

    Hope thats enough info.

    Cheers
    :oCurrent Debt £38,000:o


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