a client claimed CTC in October 2004 on switching from IB to JSA. He has 6 children, and as we now know, the JSA computers had been programmed to exclude children - zap - gone.

He made several calls to TCO, and when he came to us in January we were told that there had been delays due to a number of computer system errors, but there was no longer any obstacle to awarding his benefit, and his claim was in a processing queue. We were also advised that he could ask for emergency payments at the local TCO, which he then did.

By April, he had received two weeks payments from the local tax office, and a payment from Worthing of £700+, but was concerned that he hadn't received an award notice, was uncertain where he stood financially, and didn't know what periods were covered by his payments, and therefore had no means of checking that he had received the correct amount. He felt he had been very patient, but an award notice isn't too much to ask.

I received a telephone call today from TC Customer relations, and there is still a problem with the computer system, and it won't confirm the award or issue an award notice. they have checked his award and owe him some money, which they will adjust, and will give him some confirmation in writing, which is what he wants.

There is no sign of the computer fix coming in, and she avoided giving any information about the size of this problem. 'A few people' are affected besides my client. I don't know what a few means in Inland Revenue terms.

Does anyone know what the heck is going on?

jj

Had a vaguely similar case where all the information was correct but the computer wouldn't seemingly rather than couldn't spew out the TC602 and pay into bank account.

A lot of arrears were owing and I was offered that manual payments would be made. I said no (to the arrears, yes to current payments)after a lot of soul-searching because I knew my client would end of with a massive overpayment.

The computer just duplicates the manual payments when it finally kicks into gear. As it happened with mine a couple of weeks later when my client had just had one four week manual payment and he'll probably be underpaid this year I never got to ballistic worrying stage.

ie where your client is.

Is this one where an MP might be handy??

it could be, andrew, - i'll talk to him about it...

but what happened to openness in government - shouldn't there be some sort of statement about it on the website at least, with facts and figures?

how can people be confident that tax credits, which has a lot of broad support across the spectrum in policy terms, isn't going to turn into another CSA- type debacle in practice?

okay - perhaps i should cross out people, insert MPs. : )

thanks, as usual.

jan

Conspiracy theorists might want to consider the article in Saturday's Guardian about organised fraudsters hijacking the tax credit claim of an unsuspecting woman -

http://www.guardian.co.uk/guardian_jobs_and_money/story/0,,1488703,00.html -

and especially this comment from a IR spokesperson -

"Where we suspect organised fraud, but evidence is so limited that it is not possible to take criminal proceedings, we do terminate claims preventing further payments being made. However, no system, no matter how technologically advanced is immune from attempts at abuse."

A case of further victimising a victim?

I missed that one!!

"no system is immune from attempts at abuse" says absolutely nothing.

we continue to give huge chunks of money to the private sector to provide substandard systems which fail to do the jobs we need them to do, and leak public money like a sieve, to crooks.

the public/service interface becomes more remote and withdrawn, and we deal with the problems by electronically dog-tagging every man woman and child?

pur-leeeze! don't get me started.

My client claimed tax credits last november 2004, she hasn't recieved any payments or notice about entitlement. She said she phoned them up and was told her claim couldn't be determined due to "system error".
So to get to the bottom of it I phoned them, after the usual fracas about obtaining authority, I spoke to a very polite and helpful gentleman. He put her details into his computer and said "the screen says system error so we can't sort out her claim". I asked him why did it (the computer) say "system error". He put me on hold for a few minutes ans came back to me with the reply "the computer just says system error and won't open any other screens" So I thanked him for his help and have written a letter of complaint. Also sent the client off to the local tax office with a letter showing them how much she is entitled to, and to ask for an interim payment.