Tax credit / change of circumstances advice please/paranoid.....

[nurse.4]

Hi, am desperate for some advice please!

 

I sent in my tax credit renewal 8 weeks ago now. Am still getting the same payments. Ive been ringing the office weekly only to be told that my renewal is still in the process of renewal.

 

I have had 2 compliance checks in the past 2 years which were closed and no further action but im paranoid that im being investigated again. The stress of having no money for 3 months while they checked paper work and questioned me was very stressful.

Am i right to feel paranoid? Am i likley to have random checks due to having being investigated a couple of times in the past?

 

Also, i have a change of circumstances to declare soon with regards to income,reduction of childcare cost and my boyfriend moving in so do i wait til renewal is completed?

 

I know i would need to make a new claim but would the outstanding claim put a hold on the new claim? Are new claims taking approx 3 months to be completed?

 

Im feeling so sick with worry. I dread dealing with tax credits. Find it all daunting and stressful

[Nystagmite]

Also, i have a change of circumstances to declare soon with regards to income,reduction of childcare cost and my boyfriend moving in so do i wait til renewal is completed?

 

You need to tell them as soon as the changes happen.

[sharne]

you would'nt need to make a new claim just inform them of your changes and they should do the rest, mind you they seem to be a law unto themselves!

[rubylee]

Hi

 

When your partner moves in you will need to cancel your single claim and make a new joint claim.

 

Regards Ruby.

Edited August 27, 2011 by rubylee

[backofbeyond]

I am in the same boat although i know that my claim is being "reviewed" with regards to childcare. I didn't notify them of a change to circumstances and claimed childcare element between April 10 - Nov 10. I sent my renewal in on 05 July and hasn't heard anything (other than being advised it was being processed when I called) until I received a letter advising me they had contacted my childcare providers they had on file.

 

I wrote to them and confirmed that there should have been no childcare between April - Nov and therefore I am expecting an overpayment of around £8000 (shocking i know).

 

But my dilema comes as my circumstances have changed since renewal (last week actually), I started a new job therefore I need to notify them. I am going to hang on just a little bit longer to wait for renewal to be finalised and then amend my circumstances. I am hoping from other posts that it won't take long - if it comes near the 30 day mark then I will just have to amend my award as don't want to receive a penalty on top of my overpayment!

[backofbeyond]

Well my situation has just got even more bizarre and I don't know what to think

 

As you know I was being "reviewed" with regards to childcare and I sent in full disclosure about 2 wks ago (estimated I owed approx £8000) and I presumed that this "review" was the reason my renewal hadn't been processed because I sent it in at beginning of July and then the childcare letter turned up 5/6 weeks after. Well...........checked my bank as normal this morning and an extra payment has been paid (more than I normally get per week by approx £10) so I called them and was advised that my award had been finalised and it had generated an extra payment and that my weekly figure has increased per week.

 

Now my question / worry is; what has happened with regards to the overpayment I have received?!?!?!?!? If my figures have gone up then it's obvious they are not taking any money back. Does this mean that they are going to recover it in a different way (prosecution etc?!?!?!?!?!?!).

[Nystagmite]

Has your income changed at all?

[backofbeyond]

In Nov my income changed and then again in January when we claimed benefits (IB JSA), which they were aware about. My renewal provided correct figures including earnings and also JSA. I have just started work and notified them yesterday of this so the figures they are using are the ones on the renewal as they won't have updated their system yet.