I hope someone with a longer memory than I have can help with this!

Client was on WFTC in 2002. She says she never claimed Tax Credits in 2003. She has a dispute with TCO about an alleged overpayment for 03-04 & 04-05 & has done a Data Protection request. There is no copy of a Tax credit claim form among the paperwork that has been sent. At the moment there are a lot of holes and inconsistencies in this case, & I'm at an early stage - we do not yet have the CD of the calls.

However, can anyone recall how claims for TCs were dealt with at the start in 2003? I thought everyone had to complete a claim form. Am I right, or were people who were on WFTC changed over to TCs without one? If they were, how did TCO get the correct information - I don't think it will all have been on the WFTC form.

Any help gratefully received.

I agree with you Derek, I thought people were sent letters inviting them to claim Tax Credits.

Have TCO said that the claim form is unavailable/missing etc? Or has it just been missed out of the bundle.

The other possibility is that she made an online claim? I don't think you can get copies of those claim forms as the information was taken from the online system and put onto the TC system. So you would see only screen print outs and the first award notice I would have thought.

Victoria

Victoria

Thanks for this. Cl. says she did not claim! But I'll ask her about the online point. Haven't been to TCO yet - would prefer to get the CD first if we can hold off the Debt Management people.

You say "So you would see only screen print outs and the first award notice I would have thought". Cl. did the Data Protection request herself. There are no screen prints and no copies of award notices in the bundle! I have noticed in the past that sometimes we get screen prints but not always - & we have never got copies of award notices. Is it necessary to word the Data Protection request in some particular way to make sure they include these?

Sorry for the confusion, regarding the award notices you would only see them if the Cl had them is my understanding. The TCO should have the information that made up the award notice, but I haven't seen any included in a DPU request unless for some reason the Cl has submitted copies back to TCO with a dispute.

I also understand from the manuals that they can make copy or duplicate notices but I have never asked for these in practice.

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/taxcredits/payments-entitlement/other-benefits/proof.htm

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/ntcmanual/notices_general/ntc1001102.htm

I don't know how far back copy or duplicate notices can be issued. I presume also that such requests go through the Tax Credit Office or helpline.

Normally if you have requested copies of everything from DPU it includes screen shots of household notes, the award versions etc...

If you are after something particular you can ask for details of all of the awards that were issued that year (I think it is called something like an award version list). I always find the more specific I am with what we have asked for the better the response.

Definately ask again for the claim form. On second thoughts, can the intermediaries line not fill you in with any additional information from household notes to indicate whether the claim was paper/online?

Victoria

Many thanks Victoria. The Helpline say a paper claim was noted & that it should have been supplied! So back to the Data Protection people to ask for it - and for screen prints.