hiya gerry : )
i have a feeling HMRC could solve a big part of its overpayment problem with the scutiny? committee at a stroke if it acknowledged that its arcane and unrealistic claims regs for single/joint claims were part of the problem, and did something about it...
the rest might be solved by hammer blows to the computer system, whose decisions churn out insane demands for money, untouched by human brain, never mind heart...
i momentarily lapsed my concentration on the TC mess from Feb 2005 just now embroiled in...separated wife reconciles with husband - immediately reports change to revenue, in person at local tax office, where they complete joint claim (i think these days they tell TC claimants to P.O but in those days it was a shambles and they had to deal with the er...citizens). one week later, husband has to go abroad for family emergency, expects to be gone for 2 months, wife duly informs TCO - no decision yet on new claim, told her claim is suspended, payments stop. husbands mother very sick, he stays abroad, wife keeps ringing TCO, has claimed IS, has 4 children, pleads for payment, she is a single parent again (husband doesn't tell her what's happening, one reconciliation pretty much up the spout)...after many calls, they start to pay her by giro, in May 05. After 6 months, she goes to tax office to ask if payments can be made into her account, is told to make single claim, prove her identity, and in November, they make an award on the joint claim which ended the suspended single claim, and demand repayment of all the money they paid between may and November, some three and half grand...(has had a we did not make a mistake, and you should have known better letter...) the husband was away for a year in the event, and it was some months after that before he dared go back to her...and the case is worse than above - eg the money paid to her was, according to bank statements, less than the Revenue claim for at least 2 tax years???? i have a two inch high pile of unfathomable correspondence from HMRC given to me by client...
i am waiting for the discovery in the depths of gormenghast of the "We are human beans - send us your messes and we'll sort'em out Department" : )
meanwhile, shots in the dark...
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