tax credit overpayments new report published

savvy

Polly28 wrote: »

Desipte having informed them of all changes from 2005 (we had a breif change in 2004 which we were late in informing them and we understand that we were overpaid then at our fault) we owed them £13,000 in Jan 2008, now after complaining twice we are down to £8,500. I have only just recieved a detailed letter of all we owe ~ from 2004!! Despite having been paid two lump sums since then !!!

Has anyone got the address of the data controller so I can request all of our details? Will they send you telephone transcripts, as the majority of our overpayment is due to them putting down that DH was not working when it was myself who was not working which I have told them over the phone many times! When I got the renewal pack, surprise surprise they still had DH down as not working.

Polly, as I've said in my previous posts, get onto the Tax Credit Casualties website as linked by 180!!!!

They have ALL the stages you need to take, and ALL the letter templates you need, you just adapt them to put your info in. they REALLY have made as easy as anything to sort out HMRC, can't stress how helpful they are..................hence the reason they have been nominated for an awrd for most useful website by The New Statesman

savvy

siren13577 wrote: »

Apparently we got overpaid by £1500 in 2006/2007, I've queried it today because they had us as earning £1700, classed as self employment earnings for my partner, who has never been self employed, he lost his job that year due to illness. We gave his final figures for that year. When I 'phoned them today they said they'd have to order a print out (we did it on the internet) and was told that if it was their fault we'd get it back but if it was our fault we wouldn't because we had up to 31 July 2007 to confirm details. I'm pretty sure I would have noticed this last year and so think this is a bit unfair as they have taken £1500 from us and there's no way of getting it back, is this true? I didn't think there was a limitation on the time you had to claim incorrect tax credits back and particularily as we are out of pocket. Could I appeal this decision if that is the case? The lady said she should find out next week and will write to us with the outcome. Has anyone experienced this?

Again, get on to the Tax Credit Casualties site, there ARE people there that can help as they have gone through the same things as everyone here, they have experience of dealing with HMRC, have contacts, and all the details you need to try and pursue your case with HMRC.......................and above all they provide support!!!! All for free as they are volunteers :A

jo6

Hi this is my first post on this thread and hoping to get some advice.

My husband went self employed in February 2007 and we based our earnings on that year then in August 07 I rang with an estimat of earnings which I stupidly made a mistake of taking the tax off which made his earnings £16000 my earnings was £10000 and then I was told that they would still give me 87 per week hardship. When I realised my mistake when doing my husbands tax return I realised that I wasnt meant to take the tax he had paid off and was 14000 under the earnings I had said. I know this is confusing but when I rang them to ask them to stop my credits until I had sorted the tax return they told me they couldnt because they were taking 30 per week which I had been overpaid the year before and that I would have to pay the total overpayment, but now I have realised that i have probably been overpaid about 12000 and dont know what to do or how to pay it back.

The form asked us what the previous years net profit was but I wouldnt have known this until the tax return was done at the end of the year. And to top it all i am on a dmp and am panicing...


Help needed

savvy

As you may well know if you visit https://www.taxCC.org or its associated forum, the Tax Credit Casualties are returning to Westminster on Monday 9th June for a hectic but structured day of campaigning, and at 3pm we are presenting 'Voices of the Victims' in room 'n', Portcullis House, Westminster as a key part of our Campaign Launch for 'Justice is an Amnesty', or a full write-off of all non-fraudulent overpayments as long overdue.

First and foremost, the campaign aims to let MPs and the national Press have no doubt that millions of people - more than just the 40 or so people featured in the book - are deeply affected by the terrible incompetence HMRC has shown in 'managing' tax credit awards, and that we aren't just going to go quietly away and allow them to forget about us until the next election in two years' time.

I really, really need as many of you as possible to let me have your name and phone number on the offchance that a newspaper will call you after this event for your views on tax credits. We do have some contacts but badly need more. Each story which makes print brings in more victims, helps more people, raises the level of disputes and complaints (the highest for five years!!!) and keeps tax credits clearly on the political agenda. We don't have the instant visibility of Northern Rock, high mortgage rates or scrapping of the 10p tax, so we must fight harder to get our cause into the limelight. So please could you let me know your contact details (some I already have, but I need your permission to be media-contactable if need be), and I will add you to my list?

If any of you would like to attend on the day, please feel free to. You do not have to address an audience at all, but if you were in the room at 3pm, afterwards you can chat to MPs and journalists as you wish on a 1:1 basis. If fares are a problem, just let me know.

Finally, if you could ask you MPs to join us, that would be most helpful. We have lots of Conservatives and Lib Dems, but strangely enough, no-one from Labour has given us a definate 'yes'. Please help us change that if you can.

Many thanks, and good luck. Please pass this on to anyone else you know caught up in the tax credit mess who wants to be part of putting things right.

Ali, Please respond to alimyersward@hotmail.co.uk

savvy

And this is the result of the above post;

Tax Credit Casualties take 'Voices of the Victims' to Westminster
On Monday 9th June - the day that Gordon Brown stated that "Tax Credits have been a success" – representatives from user support and campaign group Tax Credit Casualties returned to Westminster to campaign against his 'success' in bringing debt, misery, turmoil and HMRC oppression to up to two million families a year since Tax Credits were introduced in 2003.
This week, Tax Credit Casualties returned to Westminster, to launch 'Voices of the Victims' - the booklet written by Tax Credit overpayment victims. Not a 'selection' of the 'juiciest' stories, but a collection of tragic and heartbreaking truths that we collated on a first-come basis. It’s the first piece of user-led qualitative research on Tax Credit overpayment and brings together nearly 40 cases in the victims’ own words. The victims who volunteered their stories for inclusion in the booklet showed tremendous courage, recounting harrowing tales of stress-related illness, life-changing devastation, bungling bureaucracy and tenacity as they fought for a measure of justice in a biased and punitive system.
Travelling from all corners of the country, TCC national coordinators started the day by meeting with tax lawyers Patrick Way and Hui Ling McCarthy, to discuss the potential of bringing a court case against HMRC. While Hui Ling and Patrick have generously offered their very valuable time and expertise, by working to represent us on a pro bono basis, we need to be able to guarantee funds to cover costs in the event of any court judgement going against us. TCC left the meeting determined to accelerate fundraising, and raise back-up funds to take the campaign forward.
The launch of 'Voices of the Victims' was held at Portcullis House, just across the road from the Houses of Parliament. TCC national coordinators Sarah, Ali, Paula and the Webmaster were well supported by a good turnout of loyal TCC members, with official attendees including MPs, prospective parliamentary candidates and representatives from SPAN and One Parent Families. The press were represented by reporters from The Daily Mail, The Daily Express and the Press Association.
After the national coordinators had introduced 'Voices of the Victims' and the case for an amnesty with a series of short speeches, copies of the booklet were distributed. Although well received, the true impact of 'Voices' will not be felt until people have had the chance to fully digest its content and recognise how typical of claimant experiences these stories truly are.
There was then a question and answer section, after which a number of attendees took the opportunity to thank us - a lot of support was expressed for the work TCC do, and many MPs and candidates made suggestions for action.
TCC would like to thank every MP and Parliamentary Candidate who attended, or sent representatives on their behalf. Thanks must go, too, to the many MPs who sent their apologies for not being able to attend, but requested copies of the booklet. We look forward to counting on your future support.
The only disappointment of the day was being unable to deliver a copy of 'Voices of the Victims' to 10 Downing Street. Whilst we are sure Gordon Brown would benefit from reading 'Voices', we were declined permission. John Hemming MP kindly offered to deliver a copy on TCC's behalf, along with the TCC’s Amnesty Petition.
Special thanks must go to Fareham MP Mark Hoban (Conservative), and Portsmouth North Parliamentary Candidate Penny Mordaunt and Hilsea Councillor Alistair Thompson (Conservatives) for assistance with organising the event and logistics, without which we could not have done it. We would also particularly like to thank all the members of TCC who gave up their time to come along and give their support. The day was a huge success and a big step forward.
To download and read 'Voices of the Victims' for yourself, please Click here.

Tax Credit Casualties
www.TaxCC.org

camhav

hi, just realised that due to unexpected changes in income we are now over the £50k threshold by a few hundred pounds ... does anyone know if we will be liable to repay all credits received? it was one of these things we didn't anticipate so no-ones fault really... don't know if being over threshold means no payments should have been due whatsoever or not?

Any advice great help thanks

whitevanwoman

camhav wrote: »

hi, just realised that due to unexpected changes in income we are now over the £50k threshold by a few hundred pounds ... does anyone know if we will be liable to repay all credits received? it was one of these things we didn't anticipate so no-ones fault really... don't know if being over threshold means no payments should have been due whatsoever or not?

Any advice great help thanks

I suggest you post the same question here :
http://familytaxcredit.forumco.com/
as there are members there who are really up to date with the the rules and regs

ahs1982

My partner and I were getting WTC. Then they stopped, then started again, then stopped again. Turns out we were overpaid something like a thousand pounds. I called to ask how we could possibly owe that much, since we weren't receiving very much in the first place. I was promised a letter would explain it all...that was 3 weeks ago and nothing! Anyone have ideas what to do now? Thanks for all advice.

whitevanwoman

To ahs1982

A similar thing happened to me when I first started claiming in 2005 and am still trying to get it sorted now so prepare yourself for a long, probably stressful and difficult time trying to get to the bottom of it.

I can't advise you exactly what to do next because I didn't really do the right thing, I kept phoning the helpline with the result that every time I did, the advisors changed something on the system which eventually caused the system to reject my claim for the next two years and I ended up receiving manual payments for 2 years whilst still receiving letters claiming overpayments referring to the manual payments I was getting. It still isn't sorted out properly now although they have admitted errors after I got my MP involved and I have finally got a new claim in proper payment.

Go to http://familytaxcredit.forumco.com/ and ask for help in the new members section or go to www.taxcc.org and follow the "how to dispute" link and download the dispute pack which gives you template letters to send and explains all the steps in the process.

Good luck, don't get discouraged, stick with it even though it will feel like your banging your head against a brick wall sometimes.

kinda

This was sent to the Tax Credit casualties web site...any takers..


Sarah has just emailed me to say she has had:
<<a call from Madeline (0207 2195209) from the Shadow Chancellor's office (George Osbourne). She said the government/HMRC can only claim overpayments back if they are asked for in the year following the overpayment. Leaving it any longer and then asking is illegal. She wants us to provide her with cases where people are happy for their names to be given to the media and the repayment has been requested more than a year after the overpayment. She has one case, an *********** who was overpaid in 2003 and received the demand to repay in 2006. Do we have any more? >>
I’ve heard that cases can be sent by fax to:
0207 219 6372.
If not, please send to: c/o Madeleine Karlsson, Office of George Osborne MP
House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA
Madeleine writes, ‘I only have until tomorrow to find cases’ so let’s get in quick