Terms & Conditions

[Neil Adamson]

Here is a quote taken from the IR website

If I claim for tax credits will it affect my level of benefits?
If you are Income Support or Income Based Jobseeker’s Allowance or the Pension Credit (formerly known as Minimum Income Guarantee), you do not need to claim now. The Department for Work and Pensions will be contacting you direct. If you do claim for tax credits, any payments you receive will be taken into account against your IS / JSA (IB) / PC and your benefit will be reduced. If your benefits are reduced to nil, you are automatically entitled to free school meals, Housing Benefit and some health benefits. You must tell DWP / DSD if you are receiving tax credits.

Does this make sense?

[markp]

Really!!!

Nice to know that they point out that Tax Credits affect HB entitlement isn’t it.

NB – they don’t mention CTB, I note!

Do I know what I'm doing? The jury's out on that........................

[Neil Adamson]

yeh but what about the ” If your benefits are reduced to nil, you are automatically entitled to free school meals, Housing Benefit and some health benefits.”

We now have a guy saying he didn’t need to claim as it should have been awarded automatically?

[peterdelamothe]

No mention either of rental liablity, who is excluded as treated as not liable etc.

Your customer has a claim against the Revenue for misleasding info. He / she also has a cast-iron reason for backdating (relying on official information).

I agree that it is somewhat misleading (diplomatically ….)

[Neil Adamson]

He hasn’t actually lost out yet as his ben has been continuous but he is referring us to this statement.

We are guessing maybe he has had a change he has not informed us of and this will be his defence!

Think it may be worth asking IR to review their wording!

[Kevin D]

May be worth writing to the clmt “thanking” him for the info, but REITERATING, “for the purposes of clarity” that he is under a LEGAL DUTY to notify the [b:967702ac8a]LA[/b:967702ac8a], even if he also notifies other bodies. I’d also keep a copy of the web page on file, stapled to a record of the clmt’s enquiry (er, or “attached” if it’s DIP…. 😯 ).

As an observation, I’m still at a loss as to why so many LAs don’t emphasise the following in notification letters (NB: the following assumes the change is one that must be notified):

1) changes in circs must be notified to [u:967702ac8a]THE COUNCIL’S “Benefits Section” [or dept bens is in][/u:967702ac8a] – it is not enough to only tell someone else, even if the say they will pass the information on (e.g. your landlord, or the DWP, or the Inland Revenue, or another department of the Council etc).

2) changes must be notified to the Council [dept / bens etc] in writing – even if you have already phoned the Council about the change.

3) (for Savings Cred cases) you must tell the Council if the total amount of savings / capital for you (and your partner if you have one) goes above £16,000.

I just love IBS notifs…… 😥

Regards 🙂

[robstark]

We have recently been able to email the Inland Rev. for Tax Credit awards but have noticed that a lot of these requests are returned with alledged discrepancies in info we have supplied to confirm the claimants details… or incorrect information about awards…

1) does anyone really know what a claimants Tax Credit award is – or do they just guess. We have called the IR direct and got one answer 😕 – emailled (and got a response!) and got another answer 😕 and also requested the award letter from the claimant and this showed another set of figures! ALL the awards were supposedly for the same period!!! 😡 😡

2) obviously security is paramount and the IR doenst want to give out info that may be useful to “other” people/organisations but how much info do they really need, isnt full name, nino, full address including postcode, date of birth, local authority name and benefit officer name enough – if this isnt enough surely they could call back the officer to confirm the tax credit award!!! Just like the very helpful Pension Credits people!!!!!!

anyways thats my moan for the day… 😕

[Mikeb2]

What else are they asking for? 😕

Height and weight? 😯

[robstark]

well childrens middle names for starters… the clmt and partner dont always put their full names so that gives us somewhere between 0 and no chance to get the details we need!!!!

also had a good backdate request where clmt said as he was in recipt of Tax Credits and therefore “obviously” on a low income he claim should have been backdated to run from same dates of his Tax Credit awards!!! 🙄

[Kevin D]

Rob,

Haven’t had any obtruction based on children’s middle names, but have met with “jobsworth” on 3 occasions in the last week alone on these grounds:

1) “the address doesn’t match”. Er, the full postal address held by the LA had an extra line…..but Tax Creds didn’t have the extra line. I called again, gave the address as held by Tax Creds and got the info….. 😯

2) “the address doesn’t match” (episode 2): Clmt had moved – I quoted both addresses. That was fatal….

3) “it’s for the clmt to tell us”: In two further (separate) enquiries, it became clear in the discussion with Tax Creds that the clmt was being overpaid. Tax Creds stated they couldn’t act on it unless it came from the clmt….. Nothing like a professional common-sense approach to make your day….

As an aside, I find Tax Creds to be the most likely to obstruct enquiries on a “jobsworth” basis (i.e. compared to Jobcentres / IS offices / Pensions Service).

Still, so long as the government knows what it’s doing…. 💡

Regards

[Anonymous]

If anyone DOES get a jobsworth insisting on a middle name the folowing is a copy of an e-mail we received……

[i:d1a0958a20]Thank you for your email of 10 May. I am sorry to hear about the problem experienced by your local authority housing benefit section, and for the delay in getting back to you.

We have checked the position and are pleased to confirm that the middle name is not required where the call is from a local authority. The guidance for
Helpline advisers is being revised.

Regards

Trish Dagg

Secretary to the Tax Credits Consultation Group
Tax Credit Process, Child Benefit Policy & Process Team
Waterview Park
Washington

Tel. 0191 2251681
E-mail Patricia.dagg@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk [/i:d1a0958a20]

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