I was just browsing' the web, as you may say, and came across your comments on Tony B's mess. (Britain),    I quite agree with you and have recently become one of his many victims of his 'working tax credit' and 'child tax credit' nonsense. If you or anyone can make sense of this mix-up well I'll be glad to read your comments through this web site.

My husband has worked for 28 years, in this country, paying his stamps etc, and even-though he has been made redundant three times, he has only claimed benefits for three months of those 28 years.

 

In October '05 he was made redundant again and was given 10 wks in lieu, of leaving work.

We had working tax credit and child tax credit at the time. I phoned up inland revenue and explained our situation and asked if we were to stop the w.t credit and the c.t.cred'.  The inland rev' told me to ring benefit advice and ask them.

I did this and was told the following- 'DUE TO THE FACT THAT MY HUSBAND HAS 10 WEEKS IN LIEU - HE IS NOT, ENTITLED TO HOUSING, COUNCIL TAX BENEFIT OR JOBSEEKERS ALLOWANCE THEREFORE- HE IS STILL ENTITLED TO HIS WORKING TAX AND HIS CHILD TAX CREDITS AS IF HE IS STILL WORKING.

Now the 10 wks are up we have now found out that I was wrongfully advised WE WERE NOT ENTITLED TO WTC or CTC and as a result cannot have any money,(from job-seekers allowance or inland revenue) to keep my 14 year old son until all the over-payments have been accounted for by inland revenue.

My husband and myself was not entitled to that money during those 10 weeks and we are being penalized now- when we need the money most,(after Christmas and while we're on job-seekers allowance). We are only able to have money for myself and my husband and are to keep our son on his £16 a week child benefit. We could go to inland revenue and  they could possible give us an overpayment, ( for the year April '05-april'06) but we will have to pay it back if we were to get employment and go onto working tax credit in the future. Rather than get into further future debt we are not going to pursue the matter further, as we are afraid of getting in a worse mess than we are already in.

 

THANKS TONY AND ALL THIS WHEN MY HUSBAND HAS PAYED 28 YEARS (MINUS THREE MONTHS) OF TAXES.