tax credit overpayments new report published

socks_uk

fi_trix29 wrote: »

I'm aware that I'm likely to get shot down in flames for saying this, but the vast majority of overpayments are caused by people either not completing declarations or not telling us about changes to their circumstances. Big brother may be watching but he is not psychic!

We had an overpayment because 'we never told the Tax Credit Office about a change in curcumstances' yet when I rang them I asked if they could confirm the date I started my new job, they said the exact date I had in my records too! We still had to pay it back even though we had informed them every step of the way.

We have just paid the last monthly installment of £220 which we have paid monthly for a year and we should now be totally clear of Tax Credits. We hope!

lunar_angelic

just wondering whether anyone can give any advice..my mums just got a letter through stating she owes nearly £1500 from overpaid tax credits from years 2003/2004. she rang them up and they told her how much she owed and when she added it together she owed more than they said, stupidly she pointed this out and they said it was a misprint (the cheek!) so basically shes just landed herself with more to pay back....the point is that this relates back to when she was with my dad and she no longer is, is there anyway to fight against these charges? (they're claiming that its because she didnt send a form back?) ive looked through internet pages but not seen any success stories...any advice greatly appreciated!!! xxx

BreakfastTea18

Big_Dek wrote: »

Hi Like many people I also got an overpayment letter, I have replied on many occasions and even going back to 2003 when the bill is for, I queried the amount i received from them and was told it is ok.

Has anybody took the Inland Revenue on and won? Has anybody went to Jail rather than pay? I was thinking of just giving up my work as not worth the hassle. Never been of work since leaving school some twenty odd years ago.

Would love any comments on the above. [EMAIL="dsimpson52@aol.com"]dsimpson52@aol.com[/EMAIL]

Hi there

Just read your post and wanted to reassure you the loan shark that is HMRC can be beaten. Mine is a long and complicated story, but they supposedly overpaid me £19,600 ( we didnt receive half this money) and after 5 long years, after much misery, heartache, a broken marriage after 21 years, a mental breakdown, loss of sanity and physical health, I have not got them to admit they were completely wrong, and they have written off the 'debt'.

I am happy to post the full story, but do visit the website listed above, Tax Credit Casualties where you will see snippets of my story. There are people there who will be able to help anyone caught up in the tax credit nightmare. I am now suing HMRC for distress and loss caused wholly and singularly by their incompetence.

Kim

BreakfastTea18

That was my £19,000 ! Well according to HMRC is was...it took 5 years but now they admit they were wrong and I was right....and now they are going to pay !

180

Welcome Kimislisa...

The site you all need is.... Tax credit casualties..

here http://www.taxcreditoverpayment.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/


Forum here http://familytaxcredit.forumco.com/

MiniLaura

Looking for some advice - I claimed tax credits for nearly a year when I started my new job - i was 22 and earning 18k, informed should apply due to being disabled.

I was a student the year before and told them how much I earned in the holidays etc, and what my salary was for teh currnet tax year.

So they paid me based on my previous years income and not the current year. wasnt aware that I ahd been overpaid, as I had no idea what sort of award Id be entiteled to or how the system worked. Now in position of owing about £3000 and getting chased for it.

Ive sent off dispute letter with help from CAB but got reply saying that I had to repay regardless.

So what are my options now? Keep insiting that they overpaid me despite the fact i gave tehm correct information? Im positive they made the mistake. I will go back to CAB when I know I can get time off.

Or should I just agree a repayment plan? It would be like £10 a month or something as ive enough other stuff to pay out.

Lilaclion

Hi, this is a letter that I received this week from the tax credit office:

Dear Mr x and Miss x

Thank you for completing form TC846 asking us to look at your tax credits overpayment for 2004-2005 and to consider whether you should have to pay it back. I am sorry for the delay in replying.

I am sorry to hear about the problems you have experienced in your dealings with HM Revenue & Customs. It is clear that we have not handled your tax credits claim as well as we should have, and that we have failed to provide the level of service which you are entitled to expect and should have recieved.

I have decided that the whole amount of the overpayment arose because we did not meet all of our responsibilities as set out in our Code of Practice 26. You do not have to repay this overpayment and I have updated our records with this decision.

A revised notice should be sent to you shortly. Please check all the details on this carefully and let us know immediately if anything is incorrect.

Hopefully this may give some of you hope that it's worth taking them on, and it's definately worth finding out what their Code of Practice 26 is about. Good luck to anyone who is currently fighting them.

savvy

MiniLauraRocks wrote: »

Looking for some advice - I claimed tax credits for nearly a year when I started my new job - i was 22 and earning 18k, informed should apply due to being disabled.

I was a student the year before and told them how much I earned in the holidays etc, and what my salary was for teh currnet tax year.

So they paid me based on my previous years income and not the current year. wasnt aware that I ahd been overpaid, as I had no idea what sort of award Id be entiteled to or how the system worked. Now in position of owing about £3000 and getting chased for it.

Ive sent off dispute letter with help from CAB but got reply saying that I had to repay regardless.

So what are my options now? Keep insiting that they overpaid me despite the fact i gave tehm correct information? Im positive they made the mistake. I will go back to CAB when I know I can get time off. Or should I just agree a repayment plan? It would be like £10 a month or something as ive enough other stuff to pay out.

Hi I'm in a similar position, and was definitely told to put £0 in for my previous years income because I was a student! Isn't it strange how they can find every phone call except that one!!! :rolleyes:

At the moment I've got to the missing information stage, where they are having to find this one call that I have evidence for :rotfl:

I'd say get on the tax credit over payment site and use their information, they're really helpful and supportive people!

savvy

For anybody who hasn't yet posted their case study etc on the Tax Credit Casualty Forum, they are looking to collate 'horror' stories to use as evidence at a Government meeting, and are looking for anyone that can assist in their fight against the unfair system. Please read the following;



Have you got a Tax Credit Horror Story of your own that you are happy to share with others affected, and with MPs and the media, as part of a booklet being produced now?

Representatives (all themselves victims and volunteers) from Tax Credit Casualties will be presenting this booklet in Westminster in the next few weeks, and telling the press and our elected representatives exactly what we think of this system (date soon to be announced). All we need from you is your story and comments, a first and last name, and where you are from, eg. Fred Wilkinson, Kent. Whether a paragraph or a page, we want to hear from you!

Some politicians are denying that there are any significant problems with the current tax credit system, and we want to prove otherwise, using real stories, real people, and your own words. If you would like to contribute and help get this oppressive, punitive system changed for the better, please send your story to Horror@TaxCC.org.

Thank you!
Ali Myers-Ward.


*Permission to post granted*

poppett

I received a letter the other day stating we have been overpaid by £2000+ just 18 days after a letter saying overpayment was cleared. When I phoned up I was told the £2000 is for this year. Now let me explain....last year we moved into this area as hubby was waiting to start a new career. In the meantime he was doing some agency work and Tax Credits WAS informed of EVERY change in circumstances. And now they say this overpayment is due to the changes. WHY??? If they are informed, why can't they adjust payments accordingly (obviously we thought they were). This seems to be a recurring thing with Tax Credits, I even involved a local councillor a few years back to help me with my case.
I am happy to say hubby's new job means we won't need to be involved with them anymore, one less worry every April.