UK Tax Credits over payment

[zebedee]

Slightly annoying story, nothing serious, but thought I would share. We left UK in July 2012 last year and at the time we were receiving a bit of tax credits - about 50 quid a month. We told them when we were leaving so it stopped when we left. It would seem that the threshold changed in that last few months we were still there so we've only just now got a letter asking for the money back. Works out to $350. The thing is, I realize that its money we got that we weren't entitled too (laughable really considering the amount of tax I've paid over the years) but I am still really resenting sending it back - almost feels like foreign aid!

[The Monaghans]

Have they got your address in Australia or was the letter forwarded on to you? To be honest, I'd be tempted to ignore it if they haven't got your address. Small debts like that are likely to be written off pretty quickly and even larger debts are written off after about five years or so (so I was told anyway!) I speak with something of the voice of experience as I'm afraid I worked for the dreaded DSS in a previous existence!

[zebedee]

We did give them our address from when we first arrived (my wife had a tax return to do to close her business), but its not our current one. My first reaction was to put it in the bin, but Mrs Z retrieved it and after I looked at it I got paranoid and just paid it.

[Ging]

We also had this, make sure that your income they are using is correct, they based ours on a full years earnings, because we left halfway though the tax year when our actual income was used they still owed us money.

[zebedee]

So just phoned them but as the amount has been finalized the request has to go to head office for consideration. Wish I had left the letter in the bin! Still, reminds me of the kind of attitude and rubbish we left behind.