Sunday 19 July 2009

screwed yet again ............in the worst way

About 10 days or so ago I got a phone call from the Inland Revenue regarding my Tax Credits. They were reassessing my entitlement regarding a letter I had written to them stating exactly when each of my sons finished school started college finished college. The reason I wrote the letter was that there seemed to be some confusion about the dates DC finished college and also the dates OJ started and finished college. It seemed that they had been paying for DC to be at college until he turned 20. He finished college aged 18. But they had only paid for OJ to be at college for 4 months instead of 2 years.



Now that their reassesment has been completed it seems that they overpaid me by several thousands of pounds. (well I can assure everyone that it certainly didn't feel as though I was being over paid!!) I don't remember being flushed with extra money. So the over payments are being clawed back from me by vastly reducing the amount I would be entitled to now. I wrote some time ago that I was now £300+ a month down on what I had been receiving (even then it was a constant juggling act to make ends almost meet). Now they have reduced my money even more so that I am now nearer to £450 per month down. Excuse me but how long does it take to read a letter and get the figures right. I could perhaps understand if I had written the letter a few weeks ago, I might just be able to accept it if they had had my letter for a couple of months but 12 months !!!!! that is just rediculous. If they had acted on my letter 12 months ago then the amount over paid would have been less and they wouldn't have to now reduce the payments I am entitled to by so much.



I am going to write a complaint and perhaps write to my MP too.



On top of that I have 3 sons who are not in eduction 2 of them sat at home all day everyday doing nothing, not earning, eating every bit of food that comes into the house, plus a third who is earning but does nothing to contribute to the home in anyway either practical or money wise. I was discussing this with my mother today. She has concluded that although my sons know we have nothing they still don't realise how poor we really are. They think they are on a par with all their friends. Maybe it is because we don't live in a council house. I have just told ET that we won't be going swimming again unless he gets a job and can pay for it. My fear now is that in 6 weeks my money will be reduced even further because I will nolonger be entitled to any money for OJ, even though it will be October before he goes to University.



Finally this week ET and OJ have got off their backsides and done a few bits around the garden like cutting back the hedge. On Monday they are both heading for the Employment Office in the hope of either getting job or at least signing on for Job Seekers Allowance although I am convinced ET is too young to be entitled to anything

8 comments:

Elaine Denning said...

D'ya know what I'd do? I'd move out! LoL.

The whole system is wrong. The boys should be able to claim housing benefit to help with the rent, but of course they can't because the law says they are living with family and therefore it is down to you to pay it. The crazy thing is, if you rented yourself a little bedsit and left them in the house to get on with it, they would get the whole lot paid and get JSA as well.

Stupid, stupid government!

Lady in red said...

lol I have been telling them for at least a year that as soon as JA finishes school in July 2012 I am moving out...........they have been warned that there won't be a home here for them.

DJ Kirkby said...

Sending them to get job seekers allowance was going to be my advice, why should they get to live with you and be fed for free? Make them hand over their job seekers to you, you will be doing them a favour in the long run by making them grow up and take responsibility for themselves. xo

Fire Byrd said...

The children's tax credit is a joke... they couldn't orgainise a piss up etc
It makes me mad when you try and keep them informed how useless they are in return. Almost makes me feel like becoming a criminal.... are you up for bank robbing???
xx

Lady in red said...

DJ have n1s and n2s been claiming jsa? I was under the impression they couldn't claim until aged 18

Lady in red said...

fire its either that or become an escort...............I don't think tht would work..........bank job might be quicker

Dark Side said...

It's totally crap darl, get that letter written and keep appealing, fingers crossed that they boys get sorted with job seekers, think youngest can at least claim income support or whatever it is called now...xx

Lady in red said...

Ok so now I have written a letter to the TCO and sent a copy to my MP with covering letter explaining the situation. I shall also send a copy to the Parliamentary Ombudsman and the Minister responsible for HM Revenue and Customs. I feel much better now.

I have told them among other things that I provide them with the correct information and I expect them to make the correct payments accordingly.