Has anyone had any dealings with the Tax Credits/ Inland Revenue dept as regards over payments? I.e anyone been overpaid and asked to pay it back? Did you dispute it and how did ya get on? I have posted about this before.
We were overpaid back in 2003 and now a bill has finally come through (payment due by end of March or installments, neither of which we can really aford to pay) after many months of phone calls, unanswered letters to them, and being told it was all sorted.
So now I've had a form sent to state why I think it was right etc..

Andy, and do appreciate that the word "if" does come into this :-

If you gave them all the relevant information and nevertheless the Inland Revenue (as they were then) made a mistake and paid the wrong amount ... and if you and Panee had no reason to think that the amount being paid was wrong .... then you have no liability to repay the overpaid amount.

This is very clear from the House of Commons statement from Dawn Primarolo (Treasury Minister), that statement being made after a great number of MPs has deluged the Treasury with complaints about the administration of the Tax Credits system.

Does that help you at all?

Certainly helped raise my spirits, John! Having just received a similar letter telling me that we were overpaid by about 3,500 quid during 2003-4 and promising details about repayment as they were 'no longer paying me tax credits' in the same post as 2 copies of our updated payment schedule, I was somewhat confused! Have they projected any sort of deadline for actually getting their act together?

BTW If I do have to repay I will have to ask for contributions from the recipients of the round I bought in the Lake District when we were first granted our award!

Gordie , sounds as though we are both in the same boat.It was quite a shock last week to get a bill for just over £3000. They want back more per month, over a 12 month period, than they are paying us now, which if we have to pay will leave us in debt. I just finally got all our loans and visa cards paid off which go back to before the 2003-4 tax year and about the time Panee came over. Just got our heads above water and now we have this hangin over us.

John, I have informed the Tax credit people on numerous occassions about the mistake then which they said was correct and have been in touch with them since 2003. I have a pile of claim papers from them with all different figures and names on. Not all mind as at one point I was assured all was sorted out and there was nothing to pay back. I even had phone records which I got rid off once I was told things were resolved. I also wrote to them on 3 occassions and recieved no reply.The last time I wrote I sent copies of recent claims to seee if they could make sense of them as I couldn't. And even now when they say payments are correct they could be wrong as they were in 2003. No way of knowing. Call in Holmes to solve the mystery!

The whole system seems to be geared around handing out with one hand and then grabbing back with the other and a clout around the head along the way!

We received forms today too and they are almost impossible to decipher! God knows what the people in power are expecting, but I think it is too much and seems to be the same as the scams that the Government are paying a fortune to warn us against when originally it was supposed to be to our advantage

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The whole system seems to be geared around handing out with one hand and then grabbing back with the other and a clout around the head along the way!

Oh well that made me laugh at least.

I filled out my appeal form last night. It says to choose one of the reasons for appeal. I chose all three, as I had something to say for all the reasons.

It is good or not so good to see, that I'm not the only one getting a clout around the head along the way!

Apparantly the award notices change in April or November,subject to the computer running If you think the 4 page form you get now is hard to decipher,wait til you get the 8 page booklet!

Makes you wonder if it's really worth claiming??? Apart from if they pay out it can go towards paying back what we owe them!!!

Oh well got a letter saying that, I failed to inform them on 16-6-04, of changes during my 2003 to 2004 claim and that I was fully aware of it. Which results in me having to pay them back over £3000 now. This they say is the final word unless I can produce any more evidence.
Strange that the payments were made in Oct Nov 2003that were originally overpaid. I had no circumstances changed since I informed them in May 2003. Panee was not working until October 2004 and only because we were struggling because we were getting no Tax payments.
So now what reasons can I give as to why we can't repay apart from the fact we will struggle on what we have coming in. Panee is not likley to give up her wages as it's always been her money to do with as she chooses ie sending home some to family.
We have a 2 year od in the house also. Not alot of savings and what we have is ow'd to credit card, paying off loan andd paying builder for our bathroom which will come to a stop if we have no money coming in which is what will happen if we start repaying back. Someone has said we should make them a cash offer and they cannot refuse?
Anyone else in the similar difficulty with paying them back?
Westill have Tax credits coming in which is a little lower than what they expect to be paid back each month. This is what comes of relying on the credits coming in I suppose?

Coventry CAB
4th Floor Coventry Point
Market Way
(Near Woolworths/Burger King/Retail Market)

The open door sessions are on Mondays and Wednesdays-get there early,take a ticket and you'll get a diagnostic interview. Alternatively,phone 76223284 and ask for advice. There are also outreach surgeries in various parts of Coventry referenced to Drs surgeries. I forget which area you live in,but the outreach clinics are very active.

Thanks Roly. Looks like I'll be taking a trip down there on Monday morning. Just happens I have a day off anyway.
Any idea what time it opens? I presume I should take with me as much info as possible?
I'm in central Coventry anyway.

Found the times of opening. 10.00am they open, how soon in advance should I arrive?
Will they want my financial details ie wage slips and bank savings etc.

The doors open at 10am,but people start queuing at about 9.30am. It's first come first served,so you'll be given a ticket and called in turn and possibly then referred on to a specialist later. I'm in court until about 10.30,so you may not see me,but I will have to ask at reception for my later clients after 11am. If you see me say hello.

Bring your previous and current notifications with you,together with correspondence and your financial details.

Thanks for that Steve. Didn't realise that you were working in Coventry. I may see you tomorrow then?!!?

Great to meet you yesterday Steve.
Thanks for the advice and getting me down to CAB.
Our minds are at ease a little although we are a long way from sorting out the problem. We have an appointment with Dave Nellist who deals with the Tax credits problems, so we look hopeful in something being sorted.
If it comes down to it though we will need to see about paying back the money over a much longer period of time. Although with the payment we have coming in at the moment , by adding £24 to it each month we could pay it off over 12 months although we would struggle with what is left to live on.

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We have an appointment with Dave Nellist who deals with the Tax credits problems

I bet the Tax Credits office love Dave being involved in such matters!

I'm sure they do John! Glad he's on our side! I've spoke with him several times in the past, including a long conversation at our house last year about a school taking over some near by fields. So should feel comfortable being interviewed by him.
Just phoned the Tax credits office and payments have been put on hold for a while longer as we are disputing them.

I'm still trying to obtain mine. First applied the end of October over the internet. It wouldn't let me leave the NI Number for my wife blank so I used the temporary format that has been posted previously then followed it up with a phone call a week later to explain. They said it wouldn't be a problem, that an interview with DWP would be arranged. Early December had a letter requesting some 'additional' details which seemed to be things covered in the original form. Mid January had a letter rejecting the claim. When I phoned them they insisted on posting a new application form out and starting again The new applicationis in the post now with a covering letter explaining why the wife hasn't got a NINo and requesting that they organise an interview with DWP. I did try arranging one myself and they wouldn't let me.

BigRed

Well Big Red, if you ever get any money out of them be carefull.... they may want it back a few months later

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Originally posted by Ray:
Well Big Red, if you ever get any money out of them be carefull.... they may want it back a few months later

Or even a few years later.... which is what has happened with us!!!!

Bigred, unless replies or letters to them have been requested or are not on their stationary they seem to ignore them, I found.

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Great to meet you yesterday Steve.

And you Andy,together with Panee and Siam,no matter how briefly.

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I bet the Tax Credits office love Dave being involved in such matters!

The Council like it too when he deals with the Council Tax problems!

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Originally posted by rolyshark:

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I bet the Tax Credits office love Dave being involved in such matters!

The Council like it too when he deals with the Council Tax problems!

As my friend at work put it " He's a bit of a Rottwieller! with the tax people "

I'm hoping now that Panee has met you, we may be able to venture to a forum meeting at some point as this hurdle is always the hardest, meeting for the 1st time.

BigRed posted :-

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Mid January had a letter rejecting the claim.

Can I ask, rejected on what grounds? What does the rejection letter say?