Can I get someone British to explain this article about English government overpaying tax credits?

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So maybe this is super inane, but the BBC thinks it's a big deal.

I feel like there's some huge part of British government I just have no concept of. Either that or a poor translation of terminalogy. Help?

― Steev (Steev), Tuesday, 25 April 2006 05:19 (twenty years ago)

I was going to point you at this page - which used to make it pretty clear what Tax Credits were...

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/taxcredits/downtime.htm

...but I guess they're habing problems.

― Ned T.Rifle (nedtrifle), Tuesday, 25 April 2006 05:28 (twenty years ago)

This one is pretty straightforward though...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3198211.stm

― Ned T.Rifle (nedtrifle), Tuesday, 25 April 2006 05:29 (twenty years ago)

And this is about the fraud (not the overpayment).
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4617108.stm

― Ned T.Rifle (nedtrifle), Tuesday, 25 April 2006 05:30 (twenty years ago)

And this explains the overpayments...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4119028.stm

― Ned T.Rifle (nedtrifle), Tuesday, 25 April 2006 05:32 (twenty years ago)

Oh wow. I can see clearly again. Thank you, sir.

― Steev (Steev), Tuesday, 25 April 2006 05:37 (twenty years ago)

Is anyone on here affected by this?

― Steev (Steev), Tuesday, 25 April 2006 05:37 (twenty years ago)

"I feel like there's some huge part of British government I just have no concept of"

Which bit? HMRC?

― Hello Sunshine (Hello Sunshine), Tuesday, 25 April 2006 07:08 (twenty years ago)

what a mess. couldn't they have just cut taxes for the poor?

― 25 yr old slacker cokehead (Enrique), Tuesday, 25 April 2006 07:26 (twenty years ago)

The problem seems to be the fact that you are supposed to tell the HMRC when your circumstances change and (it appears) a lot of people don't do this (probably just becasue they don't remember to) and then it's obviously very difficult to chase these up.

Also having 2 tax credits ('child' and 'working') was always going to make things difficult.

Which reminds me I've got a tax return to do...

― Ned T.RIfle II (Ned T.Rifle II), Tuesday, 25 April 2006 08:16 (twenty years ago)

I was thrown into my usual panic last week when I received a letter from HMRC thanking me for "informing them of my change in personal circumstances" and asking me to sign the attached declaration and send it back to them to secure another year of Child Tax Credit. I hadn't informed them of any change in personal circumstances and my wife got the same letter, except hers was forwarded from our old address.

Rang 'em up (they're always very good on the phone) and they apologised for jumping the gun - this is the letter you're supposed to get after you've done your annual update. Which I haven't been sent yet. So my only experience with them is of mild, non-damaging incompetence.

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Tuesday, 25 April 2006 08:22 (twenty years ago)

And that's another thing - the amount of paper you get from these people is astounding. Me and Mrs Trifle get the same stuff (last year twice) and everything comes with an explanotory booklet and and additional sheets about appealing and so on.

What about the trees! Won't someone think of the trees!

― Ned T.RIfle II (Ned T.Rifle II), Tuesday, 25 April 2006 09:13 (twenty years ago)

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