HMRC instruct Advantis to collect Tax Credit overpayment

[what2do]

According to HMRC I was over paid just under £2000 in Working Tax Credit last year. While I accepted the over payment did occur, I did not accept it as my fault as I gave them all the information they requested. They made the calculations and they made an error. We have been in dispute about who's fault it was since Aug this year and they refuse to accept any blame and then refused to review their decision. When I checked online they stated they had sent me a letter with their decision at beginning of Aug. I never received their letter so used their online chat facility to find out why. The woman I spoke with said she could not tell me what was said in the letter and gave me an address to write to. I wrote to the address. This was in Sept and I have not received a reply yet.

Today I received a letter from Advantis telling me that they are now collecting the debt on behalf of HMRC and that I can only deal with them now concerning the debt.

HMRC never gave me the chance to pay off the money, instead they have handed it over to a debt collection agency.

What do I do now? I wasnt given this over payment in one go and I cant afford to pay it back in one go; no doubt the debt collection agency will add fees on top if i opt to pay in instalments.

[ploddertom]

Doesn't matter they are working on behalf of HMRC they are just a debt collector. Why don't you serve a SAR on HMRC for what they hold, make sure you also ask for copies of all.any phone calls.

[des8]

Other than using the chat line, did you dispute the over payment by completing form TC846 tax credits overpayment or writing to them at
Overpayments Dispute Team, Tax Credit Office, Preston, PR1 4AT

You could also have brought your MP into play by asking him to refer it to the parliamentary Ombudsman (act very quickly before parliament is dissolved and hope)

You have up to three months from the date you were sent the decision that you have been overpaid to dispute recovery of that overpayment

[what2do]

I used an online form to dispute the overpayment. I got a reply saying I had to pay it back. I used the online form again because they hadnt taken their error into account. They refused to accept their error as new evidence. I used the online form again to request they take their error into account.I have yet to receive a rely to that despite them saying they sent a reply. Each letter I did get says they will send me a reference number so I can make repayments. No reference number ever arrived. It was within the 3 months when I started the dispute but is now out of that 3 months. Preston was not the address I was given to write to, I was told to write to Bexley in Kent.

[MIKE770]

you will find when it comes to Public Funds any shortfall/over payment regardless of fault is chased after in may ways

[des8]

have you made a formal complaint?
here's a useful site detailing the process https://www.litrg.org.uk/tax-guides/...ut-tax-credits

[beaconsman]

According to HMRC I was over paid just under £2000 in Working Tax Credit last year. While I accepted the over payment did occur, I did not accept it as my fault as I gave them all the information they requested. They made the calculations and they made an error. We have been in dispute about who's fault it was since Aug this year and they refuse to accept any blame and then refused to review their decision. When I checked online they stated they had sent me a letter with their decision at beginning of Aug. I never received their letter so used their online chat facility to find out why. The woman I spoke with said she could not tell me what was said in the letter and gave me an address to write to. I wrote to the address. This was in Sept and I have not received a reply yet.

Today I received a letter from Advantis telling me that they are now collecting the debt on behalf of HMRC and that I can only deal with them now concerning the debt.

HMRC never gave me the chance to pay off the money, instead they have handed it over to a debt collection agency.

What do I do now? I wasnt given this over payment in one go and I cant afford to pay it back in one go; no doubt the debt collection agency will add fees on top if i opt to pay in instalments.

My wife and I are also in dispute, HMRC have taken my PIP as income and now issued and overpayment from Aug 19, I refuse to deal with Advantis on the telephone so sending a prove it letter and statement of accounts, also going to SAR HMRC to see what they say (you can do this free on line, btw). Its not a vast amount of money but still, I am classed as disabled also a veteran! I make things as difficult as possible now for these type of errors by HMRC.* Fighting for a deserved war pension, tribunal sometime hopefully!

[des8]

Good luck with War Pension tribunal.
Assisted my son in law a few years back at one of those for AFCS... the Veterans UK did not even turn up!

[beaconsman]

Thanks, im fortunate at the moment tat my claim is under war pension not AFCS. pre '05..thay paid max lump sum gratuity, 1% short of full pension! I'm fuming at them at the military in general and MoD so refuse to lie down and go away.* RBL are supposed to be representing me also as I refused to the last tribunal, a 13 hour day alone including train travel, when I need crutches/ walking stick on bad days! Hopefully *another veteran is taking me in her disabled van to kind of get itnto ther thick heads, its a serious spine injury that wasn't treated as such in 2003.* Anyway, I digress, apologies.

[des8]

No need for apologies.. good luck