Beem claiming tax credits AND childcare vouchers

lucysmumwork

Hi can anyone help (subsonicoyote?!?!?)

I, like a few others from what I have been reading, have been claiming (completely innocently) childcare vouchers and then tax credits. So I know I must have been overpaid. I will ring them and just face the music but can anyone tell me what happens from here. Presumably TC will work out what we SHOULD have been getting and what we HAVE received and work out any overpayment and let us know.

Will they want it all at once or take it off our forthcoming claim, we are due our renewal packs any week now. And I am due to leave work in six weeks to have child 2. My husband and I have worked out that if it came to it we could handle not getting any TC at all for a time til we pay back what we owe but with the new baby coming and me leaving work we may struggle if we dont get any TC and have to pay back the overpayment.

We completely appreciate we have been dumb by not realising before now but before ringing them I just wanted some reassurance of what happens from hereonin.:o

DaisyFlower

If you are working they normally suspend payments until you have paid back the overpayment, if your on benefits they deduct an amount.

Perhaps if you explain you're on maternity they may be happy to arrange a payment plan.

[Deleted User]

If you receive more than just the minimum family element (£545 per year - £1090 if you have a child under 1) they will usually only take 10% or 25% of your weekly amount to recover the overpayment. Even if you are paying back 100% of your weekly amount towards the overpayment you wont be asked to pay anything else extra back unless your claim is stopped/terminated for any reason.

DO NOT MAKE THE MISTAKE THAT SOME PEOPLE DO - ALWAYS COMPLETE YOUR ANNUAL DECLARATION EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT GETTING ANY PAYMENTS.
IF YOU DO NOT YOU CLAIM WILL BE TERMINATED FROM 5th APRIL, MEANING THAT ALL PAYMENTS MADE AFTER THIS DATE WILL BE OVERPAYMENTS.

lucysmumwork

Thanks subsoniccoyote, I would not have known I was doing this if I hadnt seen another thread, but Im glad I have as we would only have been wrongly claiming.

It is just a relief to know that we may be able to just not have any tax credits for a period of time until we pay back what we owe. I am going to get my papers together and ring in the morning when I get peace and my husband takes my daughter swimming!

Do you think bearing in mind I am pregnant and about to go on maternity our claim would be worth more and therefore we wouold be able to not get any tax credits and pay it off quicker?

Thanks