Tax credits complaint

[Central]

If I wanted to make a complaint about Tax Credits who would I go to?

I dont want to complain to them as I already done that and it got me no where.

I made a change to my claim 3 weeks about a job change. They saw fit that day to remove my childcare costs and since then I have been fighting to get them back on my claim.

So far I am 3 weeks behind on my nursery fee's and getting more and more worried.

Been to MP who seems to of gone quiet
So who can I go to?

[Osem]

It's all here:

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/...ax_credits.htm

In my experience however before a complaint can be taken further to, say, an independent body it has to have been raised with the organisation concerned first. If you have done that with regard to the current problem (as opposed to other issues you may have had with them in the past) then the way forward is detailed above.

BTW MP's are on recess so he/she is llikely to be on holiday somewhere.

Good luck!

[bonzoe]

Send a letter headed "Complaint" to the Director of the office dealing with your case and tell them that you require a response by a given date (allow 6 weeks for them to respond). Worked for me, although deadline almost up before someone rang and sorted it out within 30 mins.

Give the facts and be polite.

[Central]

Still waiting for this to be sorted. Now 4 weeks behind sons nursery and the tax credits are no quicker to helping me.

[Osem]

Have you followed any of the advice given above?

[Central]

Yes I have

[Osem]

If you explain what you've actually done we may be able to help more.

[Central]

On the 28th of July 2008 I started a new job. I got the companies PAYE number and on the same same evening I gave this to Tax credits along with the hours I was doing which is 19. They asked if there was any other changes to which I replied no.

The woman put it all through and said I would get a new reward within 2-3 days and that would be posted out to me but to feel free to phone up after the 2-3 days to get my payment schedule.

On the 1st of August I rang up to be told my new payment details only to find out my child care costs had been removed. I asked why and was not given a answer.

Now on the 1st my child care costs got re added to my claim but I am still waiting to hear something and still not getting my childcare costs. I am now behind with my sons nursery payments and Tax Credits just dont interesting in helping me.

And now got to wait till Friday for a answer as it got escalated and if I dont get one I would have to escalate it again which would take up to another 10 working days which takes me onto 8th September.

[bonzoe]

I tried resolving a problem over the phone and got nowhere, ended up doing as I posted earlier, wrote a complaint letter to the Director of the office dealing with my case giving them a time by which I required a response.

In my view, the people on the phone lines have very little authority to deal with very much at all.

Glad that I no longer qualify and even if I did I doubt that I would bother to claim again. The whole system of Credits is badly flawed.

Oh BTW good luck!

[Central]

Now head office are involved. They made a few adjustments today and are checking back tomorrow to see if it has updated.

Promising news I hope.

[Osem]

If they cock up again contact your CAB and let them guide you as to what to do next. As mentioned in the link in my first post, you can appeal to an independent tribunal (hence avoiding dealing with the Tax Credits people again) but you should get the CAB's advice on how best to do that and what the implications are.

[Central]

Just rang up and still nothing is done.

Been told my complaint has been received but it could take up to 4 weeks to sort out. So I could be waiting until the end of September now.

Do these people have a clue?

[Osem]

Have you tried the tribunal route or are you still dealing with the tax credits people?

[Central]

Well got told me reward would be ready today with the childcare costs but the systems are down all weekend.