Child Tax/Working Tax Credits Overpayment

[JonniBravo]

Hi,

Many years ago back in 2003/4 I started a new job at Telewest someone told me I was entitled to claim working tax credits, even though my children only lived with me at weekends.

I decieded to make a claim nothing ventured and all that. I filled in the online application and stupidly put my children on the application. I didn't enter there child benefit numbers because I did not recieve that. I also put in the employment details the previous tax year earnings. Because I only worked half of the previous tax year I entered into the application £6540. Nowhere on the application did it ask for the dates I work from and to but it did ask how mank hours I worked.

Less than 2 weeks later £1850 was deposited and a week later a further £800 was paid into my bank account and I immediatly called Tax credits and they confirmed this was my award. I asked them on two occasions if this was the correct decision and they said yes. I thought this was for the previous tax year or something and monthly payments from then on were paid into my account.


I made the mistake of reading the award notice properly and in March thay called to ask me for the child benefit numbers and I told them I do not claim child benefit for my children as they only live with me 3 days a week. As far as I am aware they stopped paying child tax credits and continued to pay working tax credits. Though I cant be sure because at the time my money was being paid into my mothers account she paid my bills and then released the rest to me. It wasn't till January 2005 I recieved a letter asking first for £2504 followed by another for the rest.

In july 2004 I filled in another form and that year my earnings were £11,500 and they found that I was not entitled to anything at all even though on there letter following an appeal over repayment it states I was entitled to £311 that year which ironacally they haven't taken from the final amount. The storey goes on and now I am being asked to repay £3205 which I cannot afford. I filled in the application in good faith and put all the information I was asked

What can I do I did not try to commit fraud, and just filled in the form as it asked. I even asked the man on the form if I should be putting in the current tax year info in as I knew what it was going to be and he said no put in your previous tax year.