Child Tax Credit vent

fiddling_flower_petals

I posted this earlier on Vent board but think it's probably in wrong place.

Sorry guys for long rambling post, not sure if anybody will understand my ramblings and TC policies and procedures but AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHH:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

Just need to vent this before I pop a vein.

Last years claim 07 - 08 has been a nightmare, all because in tax year 06 -07 I earned more money.( I left job found alternative employment which fell through, several months off work before starting new job( another story!). )

Naturally I was going to earned less money pa due to time not working, when I started new job I calculated yearly income and TC used this as estimated income.

When I received revised claim noticed TC in there wisdom had retained £440 of my award as a potential payment.
When I rang TC to explain I was informed it was to avoid an overpayment situation in case I'd calculated estimated earnings incorrectly, but was assured when OH and I received our P60 we could ring with actual earnings and the retained payment would be recieved.

Which I understand seems like a good responce to the overpayment situation/critism. We'd be able to manage paying nursery fees for DD & DS. Plus £440 lump sum in April sounded quite appealing.:cool:

As per TC instruction I rang to give actual income for 07 -08, only to be told we'd have to wait until we received claim pack, then we could ring and provide actual figures.:mad: I tried to explain that I would receive too much money this year in our TC award as I would be working for a full year and therefore estimates given for 07- 08 which initially would be used to calculate provisional award for 08 -09. Which fell on deaf ears, to a response of" when your claim pack arrives we'll sort this out." FANTASTIC

Serveral weeks later still no claim pack rang again and tried to blag giving my actual figure told TC I'd received pack( as aware some people had received pack), only to be told we hadn't been issued with pack and could be anytime between now and JUNE.:eek:

* off topic slightly*

Why these packs cannot be printed and posted March or April, it's not like start of new tax year just creeps up by surprise, no wonder , so many claims wrong resulting in over/ underpayments.:mad:

It's hardly rocket science, fail to prepare, prepare to fail.

Anyhow I again tried to explain I was concerned, I would receive too much money until claim pack was received. So TC agreed to take this years 08- 09 estimated earnings so at least this years award would be accurrate, or so you'd think:rolleyes:

This morning I received a provisional award for 2008 -09, on which my OH estimate income is not what I stated (it was less, therefore claim too high). But according to award they need to recoup an overpayment from last year 07 - 08:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

Rang up TC immediatly to recify incorrect estimated income for OH and asked why recouping overpayment when we haven't informed actual income for 07 -08. Only to be told TC have used estimate income for 08 -09 as new figure for 07 -08.:eek: :eek: :eek:

BUT DON'T WORRY AS SOON AS YOU RECEIVE YOUR NEW CLAIM PACK, WE'LL RE ABLE TO RECTIFY:eek: ANY UNDERPAYMENT AND AMEND 08 -09 CLAIM ACCORDINGLY.

It's like banging your head against a brick wall, so not only have TC retained money from last year but now they are underpaying this year because i'll be earning more this year than last year.

Thanks for listening/reading.

NO TROLLS please, I don't have any impact on goverment polices for TC.

I work/ pay taxes and care for children and receive help towards nursery fees, which last time I checked wasn't a crime.

hotblu

Hello fiddling flower petals,

You have been advised correctly, TC cannot take your actual income until the renewal pack is issued so you will have to wait for your underpayment. With regards to 08/09 income, you can estimate this now, but you wouldn't get overpaid this tax year. Reason is your provisional award will be based on 07/08 income which you say was correct for 07/8, and you are given a disregard of £25,000 so an overpayment unlikely. Unfortunately renewal packs can't be issued before 5th April each year. They do say patience is a virtue, take a step back and think about how many claimants their are and the workloads involved.

Hotblu

[Deleted User]

And to add to Hotblu's post. The renewal packs are being sent out at a rate of approx 150,000 per day.

Realistically how would you expect all of these to go out at the same time?

And if all of these people were to try calling up at the same time to complete their declarations on the phone it would overload the system or if lucky you would only have to wait a couple of hours to get through to an adviser!

You can use your P60 figures to call up right now and advise them you want to give them your 07/08 "estimate" - if they say that you cannot do this advise them to "Do it through correction instead of change of circumstance".

This means that they can give you a fairly accurate and up to date award but you MUST still complete the annual renewal when you receive it.

Borgie

This means that they can give you a fairly accurate and up to date award but you MUST still complete the annual renewal when you receive it.


I renewed over the phone. Do I still have to complete the review pack?

Thanks x

[Deleted User]

If you renewed over the phone you don need to complete the paper copy.

Did you get asked all the questions that are on the paper copy or just your income?

Borgie

subsoniccoyote wrote: »

If you renewed over the phone you don need to complete the paper copy.

Did you get asked all the questions that are on the paper copy or just your income?

They asked me a few more questions. They didn't ask them all though. Will I be able to tell from the paper work I recieve whether it has been renewed totally and I don't need to do anything else?

Thanks

hotblu

Borgie wrote: »

They asked me a few more questions. They didn't ask them all though. Will I be able to tell from the paper work I recieve whether it has been renewed totally and I don't need to do anything else?

Thanks

If you recieve a final tax credits award notice for 07/8 and a cy award notice for 08/09 than your claim has been renewed. Just make sure you double check all details are correct.

HTH

Hotblu

Ps, if it is a joint claim you will receive a total of 4 awards (2 py and 2 cy- 1 set for you and one for your partner)

[Deleted User]

Yup, as Hotblu said.

HappyDuck_2

Hi subsoniccoyote & hotblu

re post #3 - we raised the conflicting guidance in CAG re updating PY inc with CSST & were told DO NOT to update PY inc in correction, wait for S17, so have been updating CY only.

As mentioned above - with the £25k inc band & updating CY inc there should be few problems.

System

HappyDuck wrote: »

Hi subsoniccoyote & hotblu

re post #3 - we raised the conflicting guidance in CAG re updating PY inc with CSST & were told DO NOT to update PY inc in correction, wait for S17, so have been updating CY only.

As mentioned above - with the £25k inc band & updating CY inc there should be few problems.

I thought as long as a correction and renewal were not actioned on the same day there would be no technical problems. The CAG (Customer Action Guide) is as it says just a guide albeit it was designed to try to ensure consistant advice is given to all. But surely some discretion is allowed for customer satisfaction sake when an extremely concerned customer like fiddling flower petals calls the helpline.

[Deleted User]

If you go through establish if change can be made guidance it allows you to make the change (however it is through correction).

Making the change will not have you marked down according to one member of the new main CSST team (cant remember their new team title). It is in the best interest of the customer to make the change as they could be overpaid if you do not.The customer could be waiting until June for the S17 (Renewal) and meaning overpayments for over 2 months!!