being chased for over £12k tax credits by DCA

[ccridersuz]

Just had a very worrying phone call started with me querying the fact that they where still under the impression I was self employed

(a job I did for 18 months) got put through to tax credits department

who said that we still owed £12000 and this sum was now in the hands of a debt collection agency.

 

And that their last letter to us was March this year which is an absolute lie. they refuse to send copies of any correspondence. Not had any correspondence on this issue for years.

 

This debt goes back to when tax credit's first came out and was based on estimates from my local tax office.

When I found out that they could do this I stopped claiming tax credits and never claimed again.

 

 

I have never ever claimed a penny since and my kids are now 19 and as far as I am concerned must have saved HMRC well over this amount.

I was under the impression early overpayments due to their incompatence (not mine) had been written off.

 

I am at an all time low, could never pay it off and face paying this off out of my pension.

I work part time earning just enough to keep my head above water and now I feel totally gutted and depressed.

 

Any advise would be helpful, especially as I don't even know where to find or if I still have my paperwork.

 

HMRC will not issue old correspondence they say they have sent to me,

which I know I have not had. So how can I fight this?

Edited December 21, 2015 by citizenB

[citizenB]

I think you can send them a Subject Access Request, which they cannot refuse to comply with. I will try and find someone who can help.

[mikeymack2002]

When was this supposed to have happened? Could you please provide a date?

[citizenB]

Subject Access Requests (SAR) can be received by email, letter or fax, but the request must be in writing. The request will be to see copies of all customer records including telephone calls

 

The customer can make a request for all records, telephone calls or computer records. This is known as a full SAR request. Any requests for correspondence, claim forms or award notices should be dealt with as ‘routine business’

 

A SAR request can also be for copies of

 

telephone calls only. This will be dealt with by the Call Retrieval Team situated at the Contact Centre head office in Manchester

telephone calls and correspondence. The Call Retrieval Team will deal with the telephone calls on this request and Tax Credits Office (TCO) will deal with the correspondence.

The SAR Team gather the information once they have established the type of SAR request

 

The information needed for the SAR must be sent to the SAR Team within 5 working days of any HMRC Office receiving the SAR request

 

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/tcmanual/tcm0138280.htm

 

Here you go. That way they will have to provide you with the information they are currently refusing