Child tax credits are administered by the Inland Revenue, so why do we constantly get inundated with paperwork asking us to confirm last year's income...when they ALREADY KNOW! All they really need to know surely is if your family income changes unexpectedly (up or down).
2006-10-26 01:40:20 · 11 answers · asked by SteveNaive 3 in Politics & Government ➔ Government
To Kaska - I have no problem with them verifying your right to claim - my problem is the pointless paperwork regarding past income that they already know about.
2006-10-26 01:56:29 · update #1
To Andrea - it's not just filling in a box is it - they make you find information that they already have (P60s) and send photocopies. Not to mention the total waste of public money in sending duplicate paperwork to both me and my wife (identical with the names changed).
2006-10-26 10:16:18 · update #2
*Takes a deep breath*
The reason you are asked for your income every year is that the HMRC (as they are no longer the Inland Revenue since April 2006) are also governed by Data protection, this means that they can't pass data between departments that deal with Taxes and Benefits as they are a seperate department.
The second reason is that they dont recieve your P60 until your employer sends it back to them this could be months in a large company, the employer is sent blank P60's, then they fill them in and give them to you, send HMRC a P14 as proof.
They have to check this income as there are benefits that are taxable for CTC and WTC that are not on a P9, like Incapacity benefi, you also have to deduct income for things like SMP, which is not done on your P60.
If you are self employed, myou dont submit SA papers until January, so they need to have a updated income from them as well.
That covers the reason for your renewing your claim.
The new change of circumstances media blitz will be to remind people to report their changes, if you have followed the press coverage you will have heard people state " I was overpaid because i moved in with my boy/girlfriend, and told them 4 months later, how is this fair?" The answer, because your boy/girlfriend might earn £16000 a year. Most people in the UK that claim tax credits will see the adverts, get the letters, and do nothing, but some, will suddenly remember that they ended work in 2004 and havent told Tax Credits yet.
Also Government legislation will change next year to reduce the reporting time of Changes to Tax Credits, from 3 months, to one month, so people need to get used to doing changes, when they happen, rather than when they remember.
The double award notices are sent as Government legislation states that both partners must be made aware of changes to the Tax Credit entitlement, so they send you both a copy, one copy would be fine in a perfect world where your wife didnt forget to show you, or your husband took it to work and then forgets it, so to cover those bases, two copies always go out.
2006-10-26 21:13:41 · answer #1 · answered by Gordon B 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You should note that your question has gone under the "Government" category. They LOVE a load of unnecessary paperwork. Everyone gets it, in some form or other. Imagine what it must be like for a poor, confused pensioner!!!
2006-10-26 01:50:47 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is an ever increasing bureaucracy that must keep itself in work. It is a self fulfilling job working for the government, not ful;filling for anyone else - just themselves. We do not need to keep filling in all these forms - the government already knows what we had for breakfast!
2006-10-26 02:53:10 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because people are always lying and trying to cheat. I was amazed how many people file taxes for a child that the other spouse has. The have to make sure you are the legal guardian. And that you can legally file taxes for that child.
2006-10-26 01:49:09 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Single mother, 6 kids from 4 different fathers, thats what we have to sort out.
2006-10-26 01:51:34 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I thought i just thought this!! last week I got a letter with a standard thing in stating if circumstances change blah blah blah....I wanna shout I KNOW!! It really odes my head in then...you switch on the tv and it's there too! You know exactly what we earn so.....GO AWAY.
2006-10-26 01:51:20 · answer #6 · answered by twinkletoes 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
your quite correct in that one. they do know how much you get.
i phoned up to give them hubby's income and made a mistake with one of the digits. the guy actually corrected me and told me how much hubby gets!!!!!!
I asked him why all the paperwork then and he just said its the way they do things
2006-10-26 01:43:23 · answer #7 · answered by djshazzi 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hey if you got nothing to hide wats your problem all you gotta do is put a figure in a box & sign it!!!
2006-10-26 08:38:08 · answer #8 · answered by andrea b 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It is to reduce take up as with all other benefits,
Less take up, more cash for MPs
2006-10-26 01:49:28 · answer #9 · answered by "Call me Dave" 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Talk to the CAB or a solicitor.
2016-05-21 21:56:41 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋