Hi all, just to let you all know that I rang for a claim pack beginning of May, it came and I sent it back and I am now in receipt of Child Tax Credit and I had a back payment of a month. Just very gutted that I didn't do it sooner as I would have been entitled to more (as they lowered the amounts!) and I would have been entitled to 3 months back pay!! But never mind, I am happy that I am getting something...nothing has yet been said about overpayments, but am sure that it will come...many thankx to all that viewed my dilemma and am feeling that a massive weight has been lifted....xxxxx

Hi Timewitch No I've still not rang..lol..I am so very worried as could really do with the money. I keep gettin "stagefright" when someone answers the phone when I ring. I know I need to do it before April as the backdated money will only be a month, as now its 3 months. Have you rang them? If so what happened...? I am gonna ring, jjust think I need a bit of dutch courage...lo...x

Hi there Timewitch, No, I have not rang as yet, but I will be doing in the morning. I've come to the conclusion that if they're gonna "get me", its gonna happen. At the end of the day I am missing out on money that I'm entitled to, and come April with all the changes that are gonna happen with tax credits, they'll probably stop again. So in the morning I'm gonna bite the bullet and just do it...hope you do the same hun...xxxxx

Well I've now changed my name with Child Benefit ONLINE and they have sent an e-mail confirming they have received the update. So now just to phone Tax Credits. I have tried to phone 3 times this morning but keep getting cold feet...sad, I know, but alls I keep thinking is as soom as they put my Nat. Ins No in their computer its gonna start flashing and they gonna start asking loadsa questions...need a good kick up the backside, cos I really need the money I'm entitled to...will keep you all posted...xxx

Hi Dun, thats what I thought. I pay tax and national insurance in my married name and have done since I got wed back in August 2010, so why is it that nothing has changed. Think I may just phone tax credits, tell them I need to make a new claim, and see what happens from there. I'll answer any questions they may ask,.....or I may not phone them and lose out on money that I am entitled to. I wouldn't mind so much, but I know lots of people who have claimed illegally for years and still carry on. Just makes me mad that I'm left feeling like a criminal for what I perceive to be, a bit of naivety...

I have just realised that I phoned Child Benefit to change my name when I got wed, and they said they would pass the info onto Tax Credits (as its all part of the same thing they said), and I had a letter in December from Child Benefit, still in my maiden name, with regards to my eldest daughter who was turning 16. I filled that form in, in my married name. So obviously Child Benefit haven't updated their records and they never passed the info onto Tax Credits. I know I should have phoned Tax Credits myself. My name in work changed and my wage slips all have my married name on. And thinking about it, I had a tax rebate at the back end of last year in my maiden name. Do these departments not talk to each other? Should I just phone tax credits and tell them I need to make a new claim, and then go from there? And then I'll probably get a letter next week telling me to go to court cos I've messed up big time!! Oh my god it'll be in the papers an all sorts!! My kids will be so ashamed - they'll get bullied for havin a criminal for a mum!!! My parents will be so ashamed of me too....what the hell have I done??!!!!

Oh and to top it off, I have had an over-payment letter sayin I owe over £4000, as I have to pay back everything I had from Tax Credits from April '11....seriously losing the will to live here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi there, I soooooo hope someone can give me some advice. My Tax credits were stopped in Sept '11 as I didn't fill in my renewal form. I filled my renewal form in as normal in July 2010, as I was still a single, working parent living on my own. In August 2010 I got married, husband moved in the day before, yet I didn't tell Tax Credits I had got wed. Hubbie didn't have a job until Novemeber 2010. Time came round last year to renew and I never did as I hadn't told them I had married an was scared, so I just binned the renewal form. So now, we don't get anything and are REALLY struggling to make ends meet - no tax credits, no housing benefit, no council tax benefit - diddly squat! I keep picking up the phone to make a new claim, yet know as soon as I give my nat. ins. number I am up poo creek without a paddle. I don't eat, sleep, am always down in the dumps, yet know its my own fault. I've been on the tax credit calculator an worked out that I am entitled to about £98 a week which I could REALLY do with, yet am that scared, I won't claim it. WHAT THE HELL AM I GOING TO DO??!! SOMEONE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE HELP ME...AM AT MY WITS END AND FEEL LIKE RUNNING AWAY!!!!!!!!!!