Working Tax Credits - Over Payment

[paddythedaddy]

Hiya, I was wondering if someone could help...?

I was on job seekers allowance and went into full time work earning £13000 gross, I rang and applied for working tax credits. I was told over the phone that I'd be entitled to about £50pcw. The lady typed something into her computer and came up with that answer.

They sent me the forms, I filled them in, I entered about £3000 as my earnings for last year due to me being on JSA and then I put £13000 in this years income (I started in about June/July 2011) - I sent it off and they paid me £53pcw based on that.

I then came to renew so put £13000 in last years income and £14000 in this years as I had a wage rise on 1st May 2012.

They have written back to say they based the £53pcw on me earning £3000 year, which is a little silly as that's JSA and not earnings and "had they known my income was £13000 they wouldn't have paid me" - so I am now in debt as they have overpaid me.

I have asked for an appeals leaflet - I am not very happy. This hasn't come yet but I have only 31 days to appeal, is my appeal already on-going as I have asked for a leaflet or is the 31 day clock ticking down as my leaflet works it's way through the system?

The girl I spoke to in the call centre didn't seem to understand those on JSA can't apply for working tax credits...very frustrating!

Any help would be gratefully received.

[bluebottle]

Re: Working Tax Credits - Over Payment

Hiya, I was wondering if someone could help...?

I was on job seekers allowance and went into full time work earning £13000 gross, I rang and applied for working tax credits. I was told over the phone that I'd be entitled to about £50pcw. The lady typed something into her computer and came up with that answer.

They sent me the forms, I filled them in, I entered about £3000 as my earnings for last year due to me being on JSA and then I put £13000 in this years income (I started in about June/July 2011) - I sent it off and they paid me £53pcw based on that.

I then came to renew so put £13000 in last years income and £14000 in this years as I had a wage rise on 1st May 2012.

They have written back to say they based the £53pcw on me earning £3000 year, which is a little silly as that's JSA and not earnings and "had they known my income was £13000 they wouldn't have paid me" - so I am now in debt as they have overpaid me.

I have asked for an appeals leaflet - I am not very happy. This hasn't come yet but I have only 31 days to appeal, is my appeal already on-going as I have asked for a leaflet or is the 31 day clock ticking down as my leaflet works it's way through the system?

The girl I spoke to in the call centre didn't seem to understand those on JSA can't apply for working tax credits...very frustrating!

Any help would be gratefully received.

JSA is administered by DWP; Tax Credits are administered by HMRC. You need to go to the link below for details on appealing against the letter you have received. I have also attached the requisite form you need.

www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/TaxCredits/Ifthingsgowrong/DG_173376

[paddythedaddy]

Re: Working Tax Credits - Over Payment

Error Made

[paddythedaddy]

Re: Working Tax Credits - Over Payment

"JSA is administered by DWP; Tax Credits are administered by HMRC"

I am well aware the JSA is administrated by the DWP and the HMRC look after tax credits - I don't require help in that way, although thank you for that information.

My issue is they are asking me to return an overpayment when the information I provided to them was correct.

I will look at the form you also provide BlueBottle but it looks like I will have to repay the money now.

JSA is administered by DWP; Tax Credits are administered by HMRC. You need to go to the link below for details on appealing against the letter you have received. I have also attached the requisite form you need.

www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/TaxCredits/Ifthingsgowrong/DG_173376

[bluebottle]

Re: Working Tax Credits - Over Payment

The form I've attached to my post is to challenge requirements to repay overpayments. Complete and return. You never know, they might concede they were wrong. I had that recently with Income Tax and HMRC admitted they had made an error. As the saying goes, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained."

[sophsweet]

Re: Working Tax Credits - Over Payment

Hi PaddytheDaddy,
I've had terrible problems with WTC over 4 years. I even tried to cancel them before any of this started, because I knew about them asking for a year's money back over any errors made by claimants linked to their lack of communication.
My problem is that they can't look in a calendar. i was self-employed for 6.5 calendar days between jobs and they call this being unemployed for 'over 7 days'.

Point being, you have 2 avenues: one, I took was to fill in the TC846, then go to CAB, then your MP, then the judicator's office. Unfortunately for me, both the Adjudicator's Office and Complaints wrote back saying the other was dealing with my complaint and neither was. 6 months later they write to me again for a year's WTC to be repaid. Basically they ignored my letter. (My MP had written and called 4 times).

The people to go to are called Tax Credit Casualties. They explain the appeals process, to answer your actual question, which takes 8 months and HMRC cannot come to you for the repayment in that time. It is done externally as the internal dispute process is pretty much them deciding they are right.

There is an appeal form that http://www.taxcc.org/ send you is pretty comprehensive.

they might come back to you after 2 or 3 days as they are volunteers.

Best regards

Sophie

[Inca]

Re: Working Tax Credits - Over Payment

I have a meeting with a DWP official at a local CAB soon,I cannot answer security questions from 8 years ago (accident..wiped memory)...and DWP are chasing a WTC overpayment from that time. I've been told the meeting will sort all this out,,it's gotta be a better option than 10 tons of paper going back and forwards,,maybe a meeting would help your case?

[FlamingParrot]

Re: Working Tax Credits - Over Payment

I also got a letter saying I've got a tax credits overpayment, the first letter was last autumn and I replied filling in a form someone helpfully told me about on another forum. Basically they sent a letter demanding money and offering a 12 months installment plan (pretty much like a DCA) with no calculations showing how they arrived at the figure quoted. It took nearly 6 months to get a reply from them, and even then, it wasn't much of a reply. They just said I 'failed to notify them of a change in circumstances'. There was nothing to notify, I was awarded tax credits for a year, nothing changed during the course of that year. After that I never renewed my claim, nor did I get any further payments, I was aware I wouldn't be entitled to anything so I didn't claim. The amount is not huge but it's still not very clear to me where it came from. It dates back a few years (2010).

[Inca]

Re: Working Tax Credits - Over Payment

I'm told the DWP are trawling through records going back 30 years,so nothing surprises me.I've never claimed WTC and their dates make no sense so I'm hoping this meeting will stop their letters.