Tax Credits Overpayments

[CHAIRBOY]

After two years of total incompetence when it has been clearly obvious the left-hand hasn't known what the right-hand is doing, despite keeping them abreast of circumstances - and paying out much in phone calls - we were finally told in July how much overpayment had been made to us. On the phone 22/7/06 we said we wanted to pay a four-figure sum in one amount.

The cheque went through my wife's bank five days later, i.e. 27 July '06!

Today, Sept 8, for the second time, we received a letter dated 6 Sept. 06 asking for these repayments to be made! More expense, no apology from HM Debt Recovery Unit and no guarantee that we won't have heard the last of a very incompetent and trying saga which involved them telling me I was entitled to a disability component of WTC. That amounted to approx £25 per month, when after 11 months, an amount of over £500 arrived in my bank. I told them immediately and suddenly, I was told I wasn't eligible for this credit!

On appeal, to which there is no appeal, I was told I should have known I had been overpaid! Well, I was the £500 but not the rest I was told I had to pay back. How should I? They told me when the Child Credit ceased that I could claim WTC. A mess and a shambles. I'm not too bothered about the cash, it's the incompetence that irks us; paying for phone calls to point out their errors and then no apology for a demand that was met six weeks ago!

[artisan]

All this kind of thing should have been left in the hands of the Benefits Agencies who are geared up for it.

The Tax people are there to take money off you, thats why are making such a pigs ear of it.

It is difficult for them to grasp the concept of giving money away

[cloudybay]

All this kind of thing should have been left in the hands of the Benefits Agencies who are geared up for it.

The Tax people are there to take money off you, thats why are making such a pigs ear of it.

It is difficult for them to grasp the concept of giving money away

 

Quite agree. The Tax Credit system is fundamentally flawed. Firstly, Family Credit, the predecessor to TC's was paid by the DWP. It wasn't perfect, but at least it was based on need at the time of the claim not on earnings during the previous tax year. It was assessed on a 6 monthly basis, and only in exceptional circumstances did changes have to be reported. Secondly, and most importantly, TC's are means tested benefits. The Revenue have neither the resource, the IT or the knowledge to administer such payments. The core business of the aforementioned organisation should be the assessment and collection of taxes, a point it would do well to remember.

[yummyyumyum]

all i know is that everyone i know who gets tax credits , including myself have faced some sort of problem. mine also being overpaid because of inland revenues incompitance at processing forms correctly (why should i have had to pay the money back if THEY calculated it wrong??

[artisan]

Mind you the tax people have always been rubbish

26 years ago when one of my kids was born, they told my wife she was not entitled to Maternity benefit.

About five years later they went on a work to rule, and as part of the go slow, the insisted on checking all tax records with a fine tooth comb.

They discovered she should have been paid nearly £500, which we duly recieved. This was after we had another kid as well. No interest was paid on it or anything. Better late than never eh?

They definitly dont seem to have clue when it comes to money

[Moonbird]

all i know is that everyone i know who gets tax credits , including myself have faced some sort of problem. mine also being overpaid because of inland revenues incompitance at processing forms correctly (why should i have had to pay the money back if THEY calculated it wrong??

Looks like this may happen to me too, i gave them accurate information in the first place why should i now have to pay for their incompetance

[melthebell]

ive just been royally ****ed over by em

 

a year and half ago i got my first ever real job.

worked it all out, what we'll get in, what we'll pay out, yes we can afford it.

 

a year later we get a letter saying the tax credits being cut from £300 a month to £50 a month yet im still getting the same minimum wage that i told em about when i signed up??????????????????

so now instead of being comfortable we're less than

[taxman]

All this kind of thing should have been left in the hands of the Benefits Agencies who are geared up for it.

The Tax people are there to take money off you, thats why are making such a pigs ear of it.

It is difficult for them to grasp the concept of giving money away

 

Quite Right. We never wanted to deal with the bloody thing in the first place but some prat thought he'd try a spot of empire building

[Jamie2006]

The benefits agencies are NOT geared up for it. They are staffed by the incompetent, small minded "computer says no" retards

[artisan]

Quite Right. We never wanted to deal with the bloody thing in the first place but some prat thought he'd try a spot of empire building

There was a programme on about it the other day. It pointed out the different scopes of the two departments, the one for raising revenue and the other for dispensing it. And as you say they have pleased nobody, least of all their own people.