Taxing times at an end finally for fearful Claire

FOR three years the tax credit system was a major source of frustration for Claire Williams and her family, but then a letter arrived which sparked a new emotion - fear.
By The Newsroom
Published 16th Aug 2007, 15:59 BST
Updated 17th Aug 2007, 07:43 BST

After months of tortuous communication and stop-start payments, and despite scores of attempts to clarify the situation, Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs dropped a bombshell with a demand for 8,000!

Claire and partner Robert's problems began with the arrival of second daughter Abigail in 2004. Claire faithfully updated HMRC, expecting a little more money each month - whereupon the payments stopped.

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Ten months later they started again but, seemingly, on an informal basis - which meant Claire never knew what they were due.

This dragged on into this year, when Claire suddenly received a brace of letters - all informing her she had been overpaid by 8,000. She filled out an overpayment dispute form yet, two months later, the tax credits stopped 'due to not submitting any information'.

Claire, aged 31, and Robert Nugent, 39, live on Richmond Park Crescent, Handsworth, Sheffield, with their daughters Natasha, six, and Abigail, three.

Claire said: "We're worried and outraged, we rely on that money. I must have made 50 calls to the call centre, but the staff can only pass on messages. The people who can do something about our claim cannot be reached."

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The tax credit system has been described as a 'nightmare' by MPs after nearly two million people were overpaid for the second year running last year - many of them believed to be due to HMRC errors.

Up to 1 billion a year is thought to be lost to fraud and errors.

ACTION

"UNBELIEVABLE!"

That was Claire's reaction after Action Desk got involved and the problem was sorted in a matter of hours.

She said: "I'm relieved and gobsmacked that after three years you sorted it out with a single phone call!

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"They apologised and said we were victims of a fraudulent claim. They couldn't explain any further but I don't care because the demand for 8,000 has been dropped and our tax credits have been activated again."

Steve Hazell, HMRC spokesman, said: "Because of customer confidentiality, I am unable to discuss the tax affairs of an individual."

Related topics:MPs