Child Tax Credit, Bad Service?

[mushumadness]

Hiya

Im a little miffed with the child tax credit people this morning, and was just wondering if anybody has had a good / bad experiance with them apart from me.

I sent my form in 2 days after morgan was born (had pre filled all forms lol to be prepared). Hes 1 month old today.

Called tax credits last Monday, they lost my form!! so have sent me another. Im so annoyed, they were very flippant just saying ah it must be lost, obviously I arnt happy with all mine and Chris's details being lost.

So now I am ploughing through another form, with another possible 2/3 weeks for processing (they arnt quick to work out what they pay you, but Imsure theyre on the ball if you owe them?)

chances of getting anything at all before Christmas are very slim, and by then it will be 8 weeks behind. Not so great for us who has me on stat mat pay, and Chris having had 2 weeks stat pay. Thankfully we are going away and the moneys changed for that. But I still have Christmas to think about, plus Morgan is eating like a horse lol and needs new clothes too (granted these will be bought in America)

Ive paid my tax on time since I was 18 and my national insurance, and never had anything back apart from the mat pay which I had to fight for.

sorry rant over

 

[natalielongstaff]

Tax credits are an appaling shambles they should have a much better system, good luck !!!!

 

[T16GEM]

Good luck getting it sorted - we have had problems with them since Shelby was born, they never seem to do anything on time but that is ok, if you were even a day late you would get peanalised (sp??).

 

[alisonbestford]

'Fraid they're renowned for being terrible.....

Good luck

 

[thelittlemermaid83]

I hope you get it sorted soon hun.

 

[tashasmum]

Am i the only that has had a good experience with them.

DD left school in July and tax credits stopped in Aug. After talking to other people i realised we should still be getting money as DD has gone to college.

Dh phoned on the Tuesday night and the money was in the bank for the Friday, back dated two months as well.

The details were already in the system so it was only a matter of starting it up again, we didn't have to fill forms in again.

Hope you get it sorted soon.
Can you not give them the details over the phone to speed things up?

 

[aaronandterri]

i just updated them on the phone about Isabelle being born and they sorted it there and then have had her payment already, think its easier once there on the system, i dont think they ment they lost it i think they probably meant it was lost in the postal system getting there, sometimes they just have a backlog in opening post so it may yet turn up!

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

Must say (though I should touch wood!!) - up to now it hasn't been too bad. Nowadays I just ring them.

 

[Booknut]

I feel for you, they messed up my tax credits too, lost my form and of course they were only able to back pay up to 3 months so I lost almost 8 weeks of money because of their incompetence - and my stupid belief that they were sorting it out and it would eventually come

 

[higgy66]

I feel for you, they messed up my tax credits too, lost my form and of course they were only able to back pay up to 3 months so I lost almost 8 weeks of money because of their incompetence - and my stupid belief that they were sorting it out and it would eventually come

That doesn't seem right only back dating 3 months?

When I had my second daughter I didn't fill my annual assessment in correctly as I was supposed to deduct my SMP. When I completed the following years forms I realised my error. I phoned them up and got the money back and it was in my account within the week. It was a nice lump sum for my hols.

 

[cap'njack.]

That doesn't seem right only back dating 3 months?

When I had my second daughter I didn't fill my annual assessment in correctly as I was supposed to deduct my SMP. When I completed the following years forms I realised my error. I phoned them up and got the money back and it was in my account within the week. It was a nice lump sum for my hols.

If it's the same rules as for Housing Benefit then they changed in October so that you can only backdate by 3 months.

Tax Credits have been ok with us to be honest...Child Benefits on the other hand... shocking is too nice a word for them!

 

[aaronandterri]

i think its easier if its just ajusting an existing claim, you get it backdated longer, but if its a new claim you have to claim within 3 months.
If its on record they lost your forms then you can appeal to have it backdated longer, my cousin did that and they got it all backdated.

 

[alisonbestford]

I imagined that it'd be pretty straight forward just claiming for Eve (she'd been in the system since it started) when Phil died (his Tax Credits had stopped a year prior to his death....) but it took them over 2 months to sort it during which time we were living on £60/week IS

 

[natalielongstaff]

Child Benefits on the other hand... shocking is too nice a word for them!

ive not had any probs with them !