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APRobinson
Rank; Hector Tax Inspector
United Kingdom
4 Posts |
 Posted - 07/03/2008 : 10:03:08
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First things first. Thank you for being here.
Yesterday my partner, June, received a phone call from the Tax Office advising her that we, as joint claimants, were overpayed to the tune of £327.13p. This came as a bit of a shock. We had received no letters in regard to this "debt". They gave June the number for the Inland Revenue and told her that we had 24 hours to respond otherwise the matter would go to court 
After the initial shock, I called the Inland Revenue only to be informed that the actual overpayment was a staggering £3925.50p.
A little more detail is called for here. My partner,June, is disabled and I am her carer. We filled out all the initial claim forms with the assistance of C.A.B, the local DWP and Tax Office. There had been no change in circumstances except when my daughter left school/college, which I reported in advance each time.
Did we do anything wrong? I don't think so.
So why am we almost £4000 in debt today, when we weren't on Wednesday?
I have two questions really;
1. What do I do next? I know I have to call the Tax Office today, but what do I say?
2. Who is responsible for making the error that put us in debt?
You know what? I feel better for actually relaying our story here.
Thank you for listening.
Regards,
Andrew
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Robert
Da Purple one
United Kingdom
827 Posts |
Posted - 07/03/2008 : 11:32:06
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HI Andrew..
click on the home link above, at the top of the forum, go to the other site,read how to get court cases stopped.and get an appeal going,and ask how you can be so overpaid when you have clearly informed them of any changes..
I would get your MP and the CAB on the case..
More will be along to give advice..send all correspondance back registered post, as the HMRC like loosing your letters..
The truth is out there.. GO get it......Non Illigitamus Carborundum
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APRobinson
Rank; Hector Tax Inspector
United Kingdom
4 Posts |
Posted - 07/03/2008 : 11:45:28
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Thanks, Robert.
I did call them back last night which resulted in the court proceedings being stalled, albeit temporarily.
I have downloaded the Appeal Pack, great work on that. The CAB are VERY busy in our town, we have to queue up at 8:00am in order to get an appointment when they open at 10:00am!!!
I just need to get an appeal going and then contact my MP, who is a nice bloke, by the way. Should I write to the House of Commons are his local office address?
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Alan the Geordie
Da Purple one
2787 Posts |
Posted - 07/03/2008 : 12:46:57
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Hello Andrew and welcome to the crazy world of Gordon Clown - sorry, Brown.
Nice to see that you seem to have the situation under control - you're doing everything right so far. Persevere with the CAB even though it's a pain having to wait in line for so long. Good to see you have your MP's support too - he will be able to get the court case topped and may even be able to resolve the whole mess for you.
One other thing that has been proven to work is media involvement. In other words, get the local paper and radio/TV on your side. HMRC do not like adverse publicity and there have been cases (documented on our main site) where they have caved in as soon as they got a whiff of a reporter snooping around.
Remember to send everything to them by Recorded Delivery & print COMPLAINT in big red letters on every piece of paper you send them - including the envelope - and keep a record of all your expenses for phone calls, postage and travelling expenses (to the CAB for example)so you can claim these costs back from HMRC.
If you haven't already done so, please sign our petition that you'll find on our main site and tell all your family & friends about what's going on and about us here. There are many people who are suffering the incompetence and arrogance of this bunch of criminals that is HMRC in silence and they need to make their voices heard.
Stay in touch Bonny Lad!
Geordie: "Alreet, de ye fancy a Broon?"
English: "Hello, fancy coming for a drink?" |
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Sarah
Rank; Captain Gordon
247 Posts |
Posted - 07/03/2008 : 13:01:11
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Hi Andrew,
Sorry you've had to join 'our club' but welcome nevertheless.
Looks like you know what steps you need to take but you could also look at the website at www.taxcc.org we have a step by step guide and template letters for you to use. What year does the overpayment relate to? Do get in touch with your MP - I would send letters to both addresses to be certain he gets it promptly.
Good luck and post again if you need help or to let us know how you get on. |
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APRobinson
Rank; Hector Tax Inspector
United Kingdom
4 Posts |
Posted - 07/03/2008 : 21:50:43
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It is, indeed, a terrible club to belong to.................. Nothing personal.
Overpayment during 05 - 06 and 06 - 07 resulting in the total I quoted above.
I do appreciate the replies. Thank you.
EDIT - I have signed the petition and passed the website around the family and friends. I am looking forward to meeting a person from the press, wouldn't it make a great story? Disabled Woman Forced into Debt by Taxman. |
Edited by - APRobinson on 07/03/2008 21:54:05 |
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Ali M-W
Da Tech(y ones)
3296 Posts |
Posted - 07/03/2008 : 22:29:22
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Hi APRobinson - sorry you have been conscripted into 'the club nobody wants to join'.
Do go to your local - or even National - paper. You're sadly not the first person with a disability to be stung by a massive tax credit bill, and the wat the TCO treats us, you probably won't be the last. Here's a story from the Portsmouth Evening News dated 2nd January 2008:
The disabled dad facing new year bill of £26,000
By Mary Griffin, Political reporter
A disabled dad got the fright of his life when he was told he owed the government a massive £26,000.
W B received a letter on Christmas Eve stating he had been overpaid tax credits by HM Revenue and Customsfor the last four years without anyone realising.
Mr B, who lives in ..., with his wife and two daughters, aged 12 and seven, had no idea he was not entitled to the cash and says he has no way of paying it back.
He was entitled to working tax credits and family tax credits while working as a site foreman earning £300 a week, but when a forklift truck crushed both his legs he lost his income.
Mr B told HMRC his earnings had changed but the payments continued unaltered for four years.
He said: 'I thought these credits were to help people on low incomes. I was assessed to get that money earning £300 a week and then my income dropped to £150 from industrial injury benefit and a disability pension.
'I was of the opinion I'd still be entitled to the tax credits. I thought we might even be entitled to a bit more. But now they're saying because I can't work I'm not entitled to it. It's a joke.'
Mr B plans to resist demands to pay back the cash.
'We've got a young family. How are we supposed to live on £150 a week?' he asked. 'There's no way I'm paying it back. They can't get blood out of a stone.
'It's their mistake. If you made the same mistake working for a private company you'd be sacked.'
Alison Myers-Ward of Portsmouth-based campaign group Tax Credit Casualties said: 'It's the highest amount I've heard of in Portsmouth and it's absolutely outrageous.
'This man thought the money was his entitlement, he complied with everything the government expected but because they don't look at the information people give them, he's being forced to pay the money back.
'They have no accountability and make mistakes with impunity. It's appalling.'
No one from HM Revenue and Customs was available to comment.
It is sickening. I have had so many people come to me whose lives are difficult enough anyway, without being forced to pay for the rest of their lives for this government's mistakes.
One person has told me that it they are dragged to court, they will bring in their very ill partner, the press and their MP - probably enough to bring most hardened folk to their senses, but then HMRC are not renowned for their compassion.
People are left feeling suicidal, and the stress of this has certainly brought on stress-related conditions, whether heart attacks, MS or other serious problems.
I admire your courage in coming forward, and only hope this uncaring and unethical government will finally pay attention to the misery its so-called 'anti-poverty device' is causing us.
Gordon Brown - didn't you come to power promising to LISTEN???
Morpheus: The Matrix is everywhere. It is…the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth.
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APRobinson
Rank; Hector Tax Inspector
United Kingdom
4 Posts |
Posted - 07/03/2008 : 22:44:35
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| Not wanting to turn this into a political discussion, but, how can we trust someone we didn't elect? |
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Ali M-W
Da Tech(y ones)
3296 Posts |
Posted - 08/03/2008 : 00:31:47
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I don't think we can trust him. Don't worry, you will struggle to find a Brown supporter around here. Try as we might (at first we did) it is impossible to separate the personal and the political, and there's no getting away from the fact that Brown and his policies did this to us. He could so easily sort out the problems he created with this flawed system, and if he really listened as he was so keen to tell us he would, he would know that it is a mess. Brown has hardly ever, if at all, entered into any discussions about Tax Credits, and always fields various Ministers such as Primarolo and Kennedy. He refuses to admit that they ensnare people. We were missold Tax Credits by Brown as 'Money with your name on it', not 'Enormous great debt and heaps of misery with your name on it'. Does Brown have to get chucked out of office before we get justice?
Morpheus: The Matrix is everywhere. It is…the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth.
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Alan the Geordie
Da Purple one
2787 Posts |
Posted - 08/03/2008 : 14:07:44
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>>Does Brown have to get chucked out of office before we get justice?>>
Where is Lee Harvey Oswald when you need him??
Geordie: "Alreet, de ye fancy a Broon?"
English: "Hello, fancy coming for a drink?" |
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Who made this mistake?
