HELP - child DLA ended, child tax arrears

[RobcarerT]

Hi guys, I'm wanting some help for a friend:

The situation is this (her words):

She was claiming DLA for her middle son (3 at the time, on MRC)

She is also claiming child tax credits (apparently including the premium of £60 percent)

When she felt her son no longer needed constant supervision, she cancelled his DLA claim, however she assumed the two were linked and it would automatically cancel the CTC element, it obviously didn't and the DWP are now asking her for a total of just over £3000.

Now, my view is that this was an honest mistake, as if she wanted to be dishonest she wouldn't have cancelled his DLA claim?

Anyone have any ideas how I can help her out of this?

She COULD pay it by reducing all outgoings and selling her car, however that would leave her without a car.

Would good cause justify this being written off?

[pmlindyloo]

Advice is that you should notify tax credits of any change of circumstances. Sometimes there is a sharing of data from one department to another but this is often not fool proof as your friend has found.

The first thing to do is check that the overpayment is correct. Your friend can ask for a breakdown of the payment. You do not mention dates so it is difficult to work out.

If your friend accepts that she owes this money then there are various ways of dealing with the overpayment.

Have a read of this advice and then follow through:

http://www.advicenow.org.uk/guides/s...t-overpayments