| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Jules |
Posted - 12/11/2008 : 14:31:18
In May 2007 I received a letter from HMRC requesting the repayment of the amount of £3,681.09. I immediately contacted them and did not receive an explanation of the overpayment and how it had occured. In July 2007, after various visits to the Citizens Advice, I was asked to write to them which I did by recorded delivery. No response received from them until October this year when I received another demand for the repayment. I immediately faxed them again advising them that I was still waiting for a detailed response from them. I have now received a reply, dated 4th November 2007, from them apologising for the late reply and providing me with details of how the overpayment is made up. The letter is as clear as mud to me!
I now want to commence an appeal against the overpaymen; however I note there was no advice or mention of a right to appeal in their letter. I am in the process of getting copies of my correspondence together and remember contacting the Tax Credit Office, by telephone, when I commenced work and advised them that this would effect my income and no doubt the effect the amount of WTC we received. I was assured that any overpayment would be recovered in reducing future payments we should receive. In fact, when I look back at our bank statements the amounts received are reduced and I was not aware that we could build up such a large overpayment. My partner is self-employed and his income can fluctuate greatly from one year to another. I had no idea that the system would let us down so badly.
Can anybody help me with my appeal?? I have been in limbo for over a year with debt hanging over me. If I had known about the overpayment two years ago I would have remained in work and paid off the debt. I am currently on a low income, probably entitled to claim WTC at the present time but am relectant to do so becuase of the large debt already built up.
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| 4 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Alan the Geordie |
Posted - 13/11/2008 : 13:24:51
>>I guess I will now be inundated with Spam and offers of Viagra, but all in a good cause...<<
Send your Viagra to me Ali .... it WILL be in a good cause!!
"The best way to take control over a people and control them utterly is to take a little of their freedom at a time, to erode rights by a thousand tiny and almost imperceptible
reductions. In this way the people will not see those rights and freedoms being removed until past the point at which these changes cannot be reversed."
Adolf Hitler |
| Ali M-W |
Posted - 13/11/2008 : 08:23:28
Well said, Auntie. All I would add, Jules, is that the dispute pack gives you the tools, but if you get stuck you can always post here for advice, or go to the Contact Us section of the main website (that's www.taxCC.org ) and contact the Oracle, Paula...
You'll find, when you get your SARN papers, that Splashin, Miss Froy and Samthe will help you interpret them - as will other members who have managed to decipher their own.
Shame we have to do HMRC's work for them, but at least we know we can do the job properly, identify the errors they just attributed to us for ease and convenience, and get the job done!
I have seen many people waver in my time here, but everyone I know who has held fast and stuck to their principles has either won or is getting there. It is, unfortunately, a bullies' game, and HMRC will lay into their soft targets whilst backing down when a person stands their ground (eventually) or brings some of their friends (the TCC, the press, an MP, CAB or LITRG worker, etc.) into the fray.
If you have done no wrong (ordinary human errors from bad advice or no guidance/warning don't count here) and insist on justice, I promise you eventually you will get it.
Jules, as with others here, if in the process of fighting your own case you uncover things about the system which you see are wrong, you are always welcome to join the wider campaign. Samer goes for all.
MPs are crucial. Do get them on board. Once they reach saturation point with tax credit cases for their constituents, even the staunchest Brown supporters can't pretend nothing is wrong. We need as many MPs as possible on our side, and then each of their parties will be obliged to put something in their Manifestos to reforn the system and tempt us to their party. Simple as that.
We are working on the Press, the legal aspect (can't discuss that, but DONATIONS will certainly help us! See www.taxCC.org and click on 'Donations' if you have the price of a pint to spare - it all mounts up), policians, public perception, unions etc., and sooner or later something will give - like the Poll Tax and Bank Charges before us.
We are going from strength to strength, but mustn't get complacent. Please sign our petition from the home page, get ALL your friends and family to sign it, and do get your MP on your side.
We're always looking for Media-ready people, too, and talking to your local newspaper can help spur HMRC into action and get them writing off your overpayment.
Anyone in the Portsmouth area reading this - we're working on more publicity locally, so could you please contact me at ali@taxcc.org ?
I guess I will now be inundated with Spam and offers of Viagra, but all in a good cause...
Morpheus: They are the gatekeepers, they are guarding all the doors and holding all the keys.
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| auntieh |
Posted - 12/11/2008 : 21:04:22
Hi Jules
Yes your story is much the same as happened to me. My overpayment relates to 2003/4 but didn't come to light until June 2006! I also rang TCO to tell them my working hours had increased and they assured me that the payments would be adjusted over the next few months to compensate. It seems to be a standard response that is basically b******s as I've now learnt. More than two years on I am no nearer to resolving this.
I think you need to dispute the recovery of the overpayment rather than appeal. An appeal is for when your award has been wrongly calculated due to TC not taking your cirucumstances into account correctly.
As the previous post suggests, you will find everything you need to start and follow through the dispute on the website so I won't repeat it here.
Good luck and welcome to the club!
Auntie
"You can dress a pig in a suit but you can't stop it grunting" |
| romanirai |
Posted - 12/11/2008 : 15:15:51
Hi Jules,
I have just read your post. Welcome to the " Tax Credits Fiasco Club ". Take Heart!! there are lots of us in the "same boat". You will get some good help and advice here. Someone knowledgeable with constuctive advice is sure to reply to you soon. I found looking at other people's problems on the forum and the replies they received did help me a lot. Detailed steps on how to dispute the overpayment, is set out quite clearly on the main website www.taxcc.co.uk. I have followed it up to now and found it most helpful.
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