We all know they're useless! Does anyone have a number of their head office by any chance? My mum in law had some tax credit money stopped 7 weeks ago due to her son no longer being in full time education, but he is now on an approved training course and they are processing things to start paying her again. The thing is she rang them and gave them plenty of notice that he was rejoining and they said they shouldn't have stopped paying her and they have. All she keeps getting told is "it's in the system - it's been sent to head office" and has been told this for 7 weeks now. She's spoken to supervisors and managers and they all say the same. They say she will get it backdated but that is no good to her as she needs to money to live off. The small wage she gets pays for her shopping and that's it. Does anyone know of a way to escalate this further? Why do all other companies/organisations report to a governing body for complaints etc but not the government itself!!!??? They were quick to stop paying her but now it's the other way round it's ridiculous.
missspeedy23 Fri 29/08/08 17:26
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if things are really that tight, can the son not get a part itme job, or she do more hours in her job or get a second job?
if she has no money, she can get a crisis loan through the job centre. If she can only afford to pay for the shopping, why isnt she on income support?
It sounds like she needs to see a benefit advisor because someone that poor should be getting more help (ie council tax benefit/housing benfit) Unless of course you mean she is buying champagne and caviar with her wages? :)
Have they ever sent her anything from the tax credits place? If so there will be a section on how to complain in there
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Question Author
Her son is autistic and gets disability living allowance which contributes to his living costs and her bills etc but he cannot work. I'm not sure whether she gets council tax benefit or not - I'll ask her the question when I next see her.
She asked for a complaints form and they sent her something entirely different which annoyed her even more.
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DWP HQ is in Sheffield. But it is organised Regionally and all the front-line services at a local level report through a region.
I don't think you will able to follow a line of enquiry in the way that one can with a private company.
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sorry to be thick, and nothing to do with the original question but if the son cannot work, what is the aim of going on an approved course? (promise you im not just nosey!).
Also, if the son did finish full time education, then the ctc people did right by stopping the payment surely? if he wasnt going on the course, she would have been overpaid and then things would have been harder
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Question Author
I don't mind! It's an introduction to work course, he can physically work but the way he is at the moment he's not able to work due to the social aspect. Because it's a Connexions course he still gets his £30 EMA allowance and the advisor and the DWP all agree that she should be getting paid, they're just not being very quick about.
When he finally does finish the course (think it's 2 years) then she knows then that she is going to have to work full time as she will stop getting this extra money and like I told her last night, more than likely she won't get the single person council tax because he will be over 18.
To be honest, because she's worked part time for god knows how many years I don't think she likes the thought of having to work full time, but that's life!
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Before you start slagging off the DWP it would help if you got yir facts correct. The DWP does not administer the Tax Credits, it's HM Revenue & Customs. If she wants to write to them, their address is Tax Credit Office,Preston, PR1 0SB .
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Question Author
Everyone knew who I meant so what does it matter!
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"DWP we all know they're useless!" if you don't know who you're on about why should you assume everyone else does? No-one else pointed out the error to you so how would contacting the DWP have helped to speed up the process?
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Question Author
Thanks for your advice, was most helpful.
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I've been waiting over 3 years for some tax credit money to be paid back to me so trust me 7 weeks is nothing!
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