Backdated benefits - why not if this is my money?

krisskross

skoda38 wrote: »

my point exactly, if you owe them money its years, the other way around its three months. one rule for the trillion pound hmrc another for the poor.

I have reclaimed tax overpaid for 6 years, no problems at all. so in respect of income tax the rules are exactly the same for both sides.

victoriav

Soubrette wrote: »

Perhaps a better example would be that if the OP had inadvertantly claimed benefits she was not entitled to because of incorrect advice from the the Inland Revenue - she would still be expected to pay more than three months back.



Sou

Ah! yes you have put this across as a better example.! thanks.

cb77

Ok, so why even go 3 months back for backpayment? Who decided that 3 months was correct. Why not only 1 month back? Why not 6 months back? If the documentation said "not entitled to childcare" or whatever the spiel - who was I to argue with said documentation and IR operators with experience and training in Child Benefit knowledge - I don't understand the system but I relied upon trained telephone operators to sort out my problem. I didn't even mention this but to heck with it.......I explained my problem to the kind operator the other day who explained that yes I should have known all about child care help - even though my papers say - no help with child care blar blar - seems she took pity on me and back dated my payments to start of last financial year April 07 - at her own discression. So I was given £1,000 basically. I realised that this calculation was incorrect so I queried it - to be told - this is fine - don't wory - keep your head down kind of thing - by a different lady. Realised this sounded a bit shady as I was kind of being told to keep quiet about this kind "discression". Phoned a few weeks later to ask for this "OK - this money is yours" to be put in writing as I knew one day I might have to pay it back if it was not right - at time when perhaps I wouldn't have an extra £1,000 lying about. I was then told that the £1,000 is in fact a mistake and I have to pay all the money back. Some may say that I was stupid to query this but I wanted to make sure there could be no problems in the future and plus I am honest. Although I did feel entitled to this payout of £1,000 I still wanted to check that it was all above board. (Entitled - as in someone in government has decided they will give this to me as a tax payer - not "entitled as sponging off the system and not giving anything back to society - just to clear that up) So now I owe IR £1,300 - crazy. I am honest and had I known in 2006 that I was even entitled to a tiny bit of help with chidcare I would have been on the phone 24-7 checking that it was coming my way - my point is- the whole scenario of confusing paperwork ("you are not entitled to childcare" interpretation)and IR operators who want to just get you off the phone are clearly a sign that the system is complicated and not transparent. Why are there no TV ads saying - if your child is in childcare you can get help - none of my friends knew either about this help with childcare costs - we never go down to the job centre for this advice - we are too busy trying to hold a good/mediocre job down. I just wanted the forum to say to me - the IR don't pay out your backpayments because they are trying to save money - that they make it complicated and confusing so that you don't claim when you should - they do keep it quiet and do not advertise this in the GP's surgery, on the TV in baby magazines, in women's magazines, in the newspaper, on any billboards - because if you don't already know about it from the job centre then perhaps you don't really need any financial help - so the extra money can be used to build another Millenium Dome. Ultimately I am sure that I am not the only one to feel that this extra help with childcare costs is widely advertised. Therefore my question is why? I probably won't get any money back from 07 or 06 but I don't want this to happen to other people who are entitled to a bit of help but don't even know about it.....how can I change this?

nova

Gosh, lm really confussed! My OH went self employed in 2003,we struggled on for 3 years thinking we were'nt entiled to any benefits, then in shear desparation we tried to claim working tax credits (having got 4 children all at school) and were told "yes you're entitled to nearly £800 per month", l could have kicked myself we'd been struggling all that time , using credit cards etc just to buy groceries. What lm actually asking is would we qualify now for a back dated payment for the childrens tax credit? l dont mind if lm not, lm just confussed!!

[Deleted User]

cb77 , TCO advertise on TV, radio and in magazines every few months advising claimants to notify of any changes in circumstances.

You are also sent an annual renewal declaration every year and advised to check the details that TCO hold are correct and to advise if they are wrong or need updated.

When you are on hold when calling up you also get advice regarding childcare.

Why come on to the forum if you have already decided what you want to hear.

Did you not read your guidance book when you first applied?
This is why it was sent, so you would read it!

The job centre is not who should tell you to claim childcare costs.

The letter didnt say you were not entitled to chilcare costs - it said you have no qualifying children in childcare. There is a clear difference.

And I think you are getting confused again, Tax Credits advisers do not deal with child benefit. That would be child benefit advisers who do that.

Either appeal the backdating decision through the proper channels or just accept that you are only going to get 3 months of backdating.

[Deleted User]

nova wrote: »

Gosh, lm really confussed! My OH went self employed in 2003,we struggled on for 3 years thinking we were'nt entiled to any benefits, then in shear desparation we tried to claim working tax credits (having got 4 children all at school) and were told "yes you're entitled to nearly £800 per month", l could have kicked myself we'd been struggling all that time , using credit cards etc just to buy groceries. What lm actually asking is would we qualify now for a back dated payment for the childrens tax credit? l dont mind if lm not, lm just confussed!!

Call up and ask if you were backdated, if not ask them to send a backdating referral requesting that your claim be backdated for the maximum 93 days (3months).

nova

subsoniccoyote wrote: »

Call up and ask if you were backdated, if not ask them to send a backdating referral requesting that your claim be backdated for the maximum 93 days (3months).

Thank you for that, it annoys me when people moan about the WTC people whenever l've phoned them up to notify changes (children leaving school etc) they're brilliant, really helpful, we only seem to hear about the 'bad' press not the good.

cb77

"no qualifying children in childcare" to me means my child does not qualify for childcare. Although I may be confused about the system I am not actually stupid. The sentence itself "no qualifying children in childcare" is not clear because my child did qualify for childcare help.

cb77

Nor was I sent any annual review pack even when I phoned up and asked for one as nothing had arrived in the post. By phone I was told that I didn't need to fill one in unless my household income was over £60k. Had they sent me one it would have highlighted the fact that I did indeed have a child in childcare that did qualify for financial help.

[Deleted User]

I am not saying you are stupid but you are not reading the phrase correctly I am afraid.
If your award showed childcare and also had this phrase then your understanding of it would make sense but there are no childcare costs on your award so it is down to your understanding I am afraid.