As you know I said a few weeks ago about the tax demand that my wife had had about being overpaid by just over £3,000in tax credits, well the story so far is.....
we appealed against it and waited for thier reply which came this morning it reads as so.......
Dear Mrs Kinson
Thank you for your letter of 14 February 2007 asking us to look at your overpayment for the above tax tear and to consider wether you should pay it back.
Tax credits are based on your family circumstances and income. If either of these change, the amount entitled to and your tax credits payments may change. Every tax credits notice you receive asks you to tell us about changes in your circumstances when they occur so that we can keep your payments in line with what are due to you. We also ask you to check the personal information on your award notice and tell us if anything is wrong or missing.
We have looked at the reason why the overpayment happened and found that we have not made a mistake. Your overpayment happened for the following reasons
you told us Amy Jane had left full time non advanced education on 7 May 2004.
at this time we stoped making direct payments to you as you had already reveived more than your entitlement. We sent youan amended award notice on 18 August 2005 which showed how this change reduced the amount of tax credits you were entitled to re ceive and also showed you that your claim ended on 7 May 2004 as you were no longer entitled to tax credits.
On the 20 January 2004 we had sent you an award notice telling you that we had asked your employer to stop paying you Working Tax credit from the 28 Januery 2004. However your employer continued to pay Working Tax Credit after this date but you did not contact us to tell us that this was happening.
Because of the above you receievd tax credits you were not entitled so you will have to pay the money back.
I am sorry if you are disappointed by my reply. There is no right of appeal against the recovery of an overpayment, but if you have further information that you have not previously provided, please send it to us and we will look at it.
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They now want to know what are out goings are so they can work out what we can pay them back a week until the money is recovered, but really that they could do with the money being paid back within 12 month. Well they can f**k off as to my knowledge we phoned and told them about Amy leaving school and we was told not to worry about it things would be sorted, we did not receive any letters from them about any amendments, and if they sent my wife's employer a letter why did they not stop paying it. My wife wants to make them a offer of payment but I do not see why we should lay down just like that, but I do not know what else we can do.
I hate the tax credit system. It was meant to help people but has just ended up putting more families into financial hardship.
I have/had my own problems with them and overpayments
My advice would be to go and see your local citizens advice bureau. As for them asking for your earnings so that they can see what you can afford, I think that if you make them an offer of more that £1 a week they have to accept it, but the CAB would be able to tell you more
Good luck. I have everything crossed for you
First off, Richard, ask for copies of all the correspondence they say they have sent you and your employers as there's a discrepancy between what they say they did and what you have knowledge of.
And take it from there.
If, after that, there's repayment to be made, it can be offered at an amount affordable to you, and that 12 month request is merely a try-on.
But I can well understand the stress this is causing you, and your wife particularly - I know from what you've written in another thread that you've always thought you lived within your means and have been careful. It's a horrible situation to be in...
Keep your nerve and don't give them a penny until you're absolutely sure that it's owing because of your mistake and not theirs.
dear richard my heart goes out to you but calm down it is not worth making yourself ill over. I second the advise to go to the CAB 13yrs ago I was on the edge
of suicide because of a financial situation but their advise put me on the right track and made everything more manageable. this tax credit helps some people but what a price others have to pay
margaret >:(
Sounds like lots of good advice here. Thinking of you and your family. Good luck
"On the 20 January 2004 we had sent you an award notice telling you that we had asked your employer to stop paying you Working Tax credit from the 28 January 2004."
What has been the response of your employer?
That Shirley is one question that is going to be asked first thing Monday morning.
Oh Richard! >:( They've done it to us too. We got WFTC fine for 2 years, then they hit us with this whole overpayment thing and now again this year, even though we were not recieving a penny and they were informed of all our 'changes in circumstance'. We've now put in a dispute claim as they are trying to hit us for nearly 4 grand, although my OH's estimated salary was massively over as we spent last year looking after his mum who'd been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. So we've put in a claim to have all that taken into consideration. Also annoying is how they deny all knowledge of any letters you've sent and basically call you a liar.
Do request the copies of correspondence. They don't like it at all but have to give them to you. Also try the CAB as they have been overwhelmed with these complaints and hve set up system to deal with them, and are, by all accounts quite successful in sorting them out. I keep going to ours but it's always so busy I have to go and do school run etc...never actually get in there.
Do keep me informed and good luck. remember they cannot have what you have not got. In other words - >:(Screw 'em!
Dear Richard, please make them give you copies of there letters to you and take them to the C A B. office they are so very helpfull, if you do end up having to pay offer them a couple of quid and no more they cannot refuse an offer the bas***ds
Please do not get to stressed about it fight the good fight man. Also get your employer to sort his end out and also ask for copies of letters sent to them.
Even if you feel all in with it Richard don`t show them any weakness just keep going back to the C A B. All the luck you need is wished for you from A4A.
All the best Rosebud. :)
Problems with the tax credit system are exaccerbated when the employer pays it direct. This happened to my aunty. I get mine direct from tax credits so have never had a problem touch wood!
Nothing to do with Tax credits, but equally stupid.
As I have income from several sources (pensions, small annual part time job, interest etc.) I now have to have more than one tax code. The silly b's sent me a form to claim back tax paid. I pointed out to them that I had paid no income tax since I retired in 1995 so how could I be able to claim any back. My allowance would allow me to take on a job paying £2,500 a year and still not pay tax.
You shouldn't have more than one tax code regardless of how many sources/jobs you have - you need to get that straightened out. I had two codes when they messed up when I first 'registered' (whatever it's called) when I was allowed to work here. They gave me a code in my name and a code in my married name - it took several phone calls to explain that I have never used my married name and never put it on a form! You'd think they live in the 19th century there because they couldn't understand why I didn't use my husband's name. It did get straightened out in the end but only after about 3 months of being on the highest tax rate code.
Knock on wood my tax credits have been okay. But I get paid directly too.
Tina.
My daughter has been caught inthe trap she has 3 kids works 3 evenings a week
relies on TC to boost their income but they can,t earn a little more through overtime because they loose it, it has to be a lot more like an additional job to make up for the money lost and cover childcare when they are not in school
I shalllose mine when I get a OAP this year I shall be able to cut my hours without a drastic drop
margaret ???