Tax credits

[backofbeyond]

Believe me Matrix if I could do without tax credits I wouldn't claim! I am truly grateful for the tax credits but it just seems so complex!

 

I think with the new government they have realised that their system is so easy to defraud and that many people are (whether intentional or not). I am not a dishonest person and didn't intend to defraud them but we were struggling financially and I always thought next week I'll ring them and then that week never came. I stopped my childcare in November after fraudulantly claiming childcare since April; I always knew it would catch up with me and trust me I have worried myself ill about it! I know that I am not alone and with the state of everyones finances HMRC are tightening their belts as they are aware of what the ordinary people are doing. It is no longer just organised fraud they are worrying about.

 

I know that they are going to be phasing tax credits out and looking at the "universal credit" which will basically mean (from what I have read) that everyones benefits will be centralised. Personally I think it is a good thing.

 

I bet that HMRC are just starting with childcare as this will be where most discrepancies will lie.

 

xx

[ozzyoo]

Hi thanks for responce I renewed on the phone in July and call again in august to make sure it was ok . The payments stopped because they made a mistake they admitted that when I called on saturday and that was then I was told I would definetly recieve payment by the 7th .. Then on the 6th they said no payment will be paid till the 12th so I requested emergency payment i know that because it was their mistake I am intitled to that money via emergency payment however they refused and then when I asked to speak to superviser he got nasty with me which was when I said it was criminal and he then hung up ..I am due payment every monday and that was their reason not to pay out emergency payment as I was paid the day before (but I did not get it) I want to find out how to go about claiming back the costs that I have due to their mistakes... To be honest I am frightened to call again I am dreading the phone bill and will probably not be able to pay it so soon after will be disconnected ...

[backofbeyond]

If it is the 0845 number you are dialing you can always call 028 9053 8192 (if you've never used it http://www.saynoto0870.com) is a great site.

 

I am a little confused still (could be to with the fact that school holidays has just ended lol). I understand that you are saying it is "their mistake" but have they actually admitted as such? Are they saying you didn't renew and that is why your payments have stopped?

 

This page gives information on how to complain and although I understand what you are saying about your phone bill BUT phone is the quickest way to deal with them. Is it not possible you could use a friend or relatives phone? (just a thought, not being patronising). Advise them on the phone you wish to make a formal complaint.

 

With regards to "emergency payments", i have no knowledge of those. Just done a quick google search and although I find reference to it most seem to be from 2004 and are not on HMRC website. I also wouldn't have thought a normal advisor would be able to agree to one of those, I would of thought it may be a different department or at least a supervisor.

 

I know you have called and it is frustrating but there really isn't anything else you can do other than ring. You could go see CAB but getting an appointment can take up time. If you do call again make sure you take the persons name at the beginning of the call, explain firstly that you wish to make a formal complaint and that you would like to speak with someone in authority. If a payment is due to you on Monday it will have already been sent therefore should be on their system. You also need to ask what is happening with regards to the payments you were due and have not received as yet. If they have admitted it was their error then I would have thought this would be automatically paid.

 

Tax credits are very confusing and frustrating and I empathise with you.

 

Just out of interest do you get paid childcare element in your claim?

[ozzyoo]

They admitted it was their mistake I was told by DWP they should have given payment too as for CAB I can not get appointment I have tried in the past as this happens to me a lot this is not thte first time I have been left pennyless . I was transferred to the emergency payments team who refused to help even though they are fully aware it was their mistake .. I do not get a childcare element duo to my daughters disability I do not work and I think it was because I am a single mum on benefits the man I spoke to was so rude I feel totally intimidated by him and if I am honest I am actually frightened to call again the stress has made me ill I am very lucky the DWP were sypathetic and gave me a crisis loan so I could buy food for the kids but I havent got food for myself and I wont be able to have a meal until they resolve it I hope that it will be monday as thats when the said it will be paid if not I may be to get another dwp payment but that is not really likely saying that on a plus point I need to lose weight a little stress is great for that . I will be making a complaint about them I have the name of the man who I spoke to on tuesday I wont give up because this is too much I have spoken to lots of people having simular problems with tax credits all over the UK the whole system has way too many problems and needs investigating

[backofbeyond]

Ozzy, don't know what else to say to you but I really do sympathise. Once your payments start coming through make sure you follow up and make a complaint - leaving you without and causing severe hardship is not on and how you have been dealt with is appaulling!!!!! They shouldn't be able to intimidate you nor make you feel inferior because of your situation!

 

Hugs x

[rubylee]

Hi Ozzy

 

I'm surprised you had to do a renewal being on Benefits ?, being on Benefits you should have received Annual Review form TC603R which is Auto-Renewed .

 

Regards ruby.

[ozzyoo]

Believe me I will do what ever it takes from now on I will record every phone call I make to them I will inform them when they answer and if I do not recieve payment on Monday I will be going to te local office with big board and peaceful protest I have more than 200 people who have said they are having same problems who say they will come too hopefully I don get in trouble but I'm 5' not a threat at all I want local newspaper to run a story on it I am going to call them too

[backofbeyond]

I may be being really thick here but I am still really confused. You know of 200 people who are having the same problem? What problem? That they have had their tax credits stopped? I still don't fully understand why they have been stopped (other than you say it is their error) - like Ruby said if you have claimed benefits for the whole tax year then renewal should be automatic? Which if that is the case then you didn't not renew?!?!?

 

When did you last receive a payment from them?

 

I really don't think a protest (whether peaceful or not) would do any good. It may be worth though you getting in touch with your local MP, they normally get matters like this sorted fairly quickly and it gives them a bit of good press (which they so badly need!). You can find details of your local MP here

 

I personally wouldn't wait until Monday. If you are getting a payment on Monday the payment will have already been processed. I would rather know than be sat at home worrying over the weekend. If you are not getting a payment then you will have at least tomorrow to start making provisions i.e. crisis loan etc.

[ozzyoo]

Everyone has to renew by the end of july tax credits are not automatic my last payment was the 29th I cant get another crisis loan and they have given me different information every time after leaving me on hold for 40 minutes or more I know I should call them again but they wont discuss it any further I am frightened that they will say something worse, on tuesday I will get child benefit that can feed the kids for now and I still have enough food to feed them till then cant feed myself until next friday I dont think unless they pay as I said earlier I planned to loose weight so I will try not to let them get me down .

[backofbeyond]

Won't discuss what any further? Your award? Do you think you are being investigated or do you simply think it is because they say you didn't renew? I did think if you'd been on benefits for the full year renewal was different but like I said - that's what I think not know.

 

Who are these other 200 people with the same problem?

 

If you are in desperate need then surely dwp can help? I am no expert in crisis loans but there must be somewhere you can turn?

 

Try your MP - that's best advice I can give. Good luck x

[ozzyoo]

they refuse to discuss it as they say I will get paid this monday they stopped my money because they did not renew it properly , I am not under investigation and I have evidence of renewal .. I have found people online and local friends who were either paid late or not at all . I can not have a crisis loan again because the money is owed by tax credit .. I will try my MP thats a really good idea and I am also calling social servises as apparently they sometimes gives food hampers or vouchers so I will try that I will also call the DWP again as they were very spmpathetic and may be able to at least contact the tax credits office for me

[rubylee]

Everyone has to renew by the end of july tax credits are not automatic my last payment was the 29th I cant get another crisis loan and they have given me different information every time after leaving me on hold for 40 minutes or more I know I should call them again but they wont discuss it any further I am frightened that they will say something worse, on tuesday I will get child benefit that can feed the kids for now and I still have enough food to feed them till then cant feed myself until next friday I dont think unless they pay as I said earlier I planned to loose weight so I will try not to let them get me down .

 

Hi

I would just like to add I know for a fact everyone who has received Benefits from April to April have their awards Auto Renewed.

 

Hope you get your award sorted .

 

Regards Ruby.

[backofbeyond]

I did think that too but I'm no expert and have never experienced it as not claimed benefits for a full year.

 

I wish ozzy good luck anyway. Not a nice situation for anyone - worrying how you are going to put food on table.

 

X

[rubylee]

Hi

I too feel for her , we haven't claimed Benefits and were not entitled to Tax Credits I'm glad really can do with out the stress.

 

I don't understand as to why she has had to renew her claim , unless she has made changes .

 

Regards Ruby.

[ozzyoo]

Hi Ruby , All claims for tax credits are renewed everyone who claims them has to either fill out form or phone them by the end of july if they do not do this the money stops . I have not made any changes at all and on Saturday when I spoke to them the told me that they had made a mistake I know at some point I will get paid I just wish I knew when as I do not trust them at all every year this happens to me more than once it has caused me serious dept with bank charges and late payment fees in the past and now I am on dept management and have a special account that is managed for me at a price however I cant get overdrawn or get big chargeswhich helps but every time I start to get on track my money stops for crazy reasons including them anouncing that I am deseased I have never recieved the costs back that I got due to the mistakes they have made and I will be paying it off for the next 15 years .

[rubylee]

Hi

sorry but it just doesn't sound right please read this link and you will see Auto Renew claims http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/leaflets/tax-credit-renew.pdf.

 

Regards Ruby.

[Chayton]

Im not sure why everyone is saying that Child Tax Credit is auto renewed for anyone on benefits. This has never happened to me the whole time Ive been on income support (the last seven years). I get a renewal notice which tells me I MUST renew my claim either by telephone or completing the form.

 

I have never been sent the Annual Review, just the Renewal Pack, despite having been in Income Support for the whole of the relevant previous years. I have only ever had to make one change to my Child Tax Credit claim, that was this year in August to confirm that the children were continuing their education, so that's not the reason I havent ever had an auto renew.

 

I too have had problems with Child Tax Credits being stopped for spurious reasons. The last time was because they apparently "hadnt received my renewal". The renewal they hadnt "received" was in fact done by telephone, as I always do.

 

What the Inland Revenue site says and what happens in reality are two entirely different things - at least in my case.

Edited September 9, 2011 by Chayton

[rubylee]

Hi

 

Auto Renew haven't always been the case for people on benefits.

 

"From April 2011, customers in receipt of IS, income-

based JSA, income-related ESA or PC for all of the 2010/11 tax year will also

be included in the auto renewals process. However, customers are asked to

check their annual review notice and report changes if they will impact on their

award"

 

So as you can see this is new as of this year .

 

Regards Ruby.

[flumps1976]

Not all people claiming tax credits who also receive benefits from DWP are renewed automatically. We always have a lrage number of people coming into the JCP office where I work as their tc awards have just stopped due to not being renewed.

The verbal assaults always increase significantly in our office during August.

One man spat at me in a shop the other day because his tc had stopped when he didn't renew and because I was on the reception desk at the time it was all my fault! I don't even work for HMRC!!!!!!

[ozzyoo]

Because my eldest child is 16 and started year 12 I had to renew saying that every year they send out a form which you have to sign to say there is no changes if you dont they stop your payments the information you gave me is new so thank you I have been sent anouther link about getting costs paid when they get it wrong I am more than grateful to everyone who have been advising me you are all very helpful

[ozzyoo]

To be honest I never got auto renewal even though the DWP do not pressure me into work as I have a child with special needs I think the auto renewal is something they say they do however everyone has to either phone or send in the form so it appears that the auto renewal is somewhat of a myth

[rubylee]

You wouldn't have as it's new this year.

 

What it says if you read the information on HMRC you will receive a annual review TC603R which will also be you final notice if you have no changes or they tell you other wise ,or you will receive a TC603R and TC603D which means you have to renew.

 

What my point is "MOST" on benefits have auto renew as of April 2011.

 

Regards Ruby.

Edited September 9, 2011 by rubylee

[ozzyoo]

I know what they have said but tax credits are not doing what they said on that link with my case where my son is continuing education it does not apply to me although other people I have spoken to it should have according to that link they should of had auto renewal but they all recieved a form which they had to sign and post or thtey had to call it seems there are serious mistakes being made by tax credits many people are suffering because of this think there needs to be an investigation into the failings as vunrable people are suffering and doubt I am the only one who can not afford to eat . I am just relieved my kids get free school meals during thet week

[ozzyoo]

dear flumps 1976,

you shouldnt have that at all I may have been angry when I was talking to the man who totally made me feel intimidated but I would never be abusive and my DWP office have been so good but due to the fact its all down to tax credits they cant really help its not even their responcability I think your post further confirms that Tax credits have a lot to answer for but I also think the reason tax credits are so un sympathetic is because of dealing with nasty abusive people like you have mentioned and I feel so sorry for those who work in the job centres as tax credits seem only to be on the phone the DWP offices seem to be the front line in dealing with highly stressed frustrated people .

[ozzyoo]

I finally got paid most of what I am owed the rest owing will be spread over the tax year I have made an offical complaint and a manager called me she said due to how serious the complaint is she will have to speak to someone more senior hopefully the man who was so cruel and intimidating will be correctly dealt with I mentioned something a DWP staff member said on here about being spat at , I told her that they are dealing on occasions with vunrable people who depend one the money from tax credits and trying to get through to them at times is very frustrating and the way I was treated could prevoke some to go to local offices and be agressive towards their staff and the staff of DWP thank you all for your support and I will inform you all how complaint proceedure goes