I feel miserable!

So, i'm doing my AS's. Already stressful enough, but at the beginning of the month I found out my dad just lost his job. It was okay, because my mum earns a pretty good salary so we could cut back a bit and manage. Then, the boiler broke, not such a big deal but cost 300 pound to fix, which is hard to scrape up when you only have one working parent. Then we receive a letter stating that, my dad had been overpaid on working tax credits in 2003, and owes 6,000! - due to no fault of my parents, but due to miscalculations of the Inland Revenue!

What the hell do i do? Because it is really just getting me down. I don't want to have the fear that my life is gonna be taken away from me, and that is how it has all made me feel :frown:

I get that money isn't everything, but it is sooo stressful, especially when you have important exams and you are just trying to sort out your personal life. Anyone in the same boat?!

Reply 1

Zerforax

21

If you are genuinely worried, do well in the exams + try hard for long term security in a job etc, so you dont need to worry about money.
And then if you can be bothered, try to get a job for the summer?

Reply 2

andrewjh009

2

No offence but your parent being overpaid £6000 in tax credits should have been aware of this and reported the issue, no sympthy if the money was simply spent :smile:

Reply 3

barrybuchanan

dude thats awful!

try and keep your private life away from your exam life. Just sit down and revise and dont worry about it! Im sure that ur parents solicitor will sort out the 6000 problem cos thats not fair if they made the mistake. im sure your parents have money stored away for mishaps like the boiler.

we all go through hard times where money is tight. u just got ride them out. Things will get better again once your dad finds a new job!

good luck in all of your exams!

Reply 4

À la mode

1

^andrew JH009^That doesn't really help IMO, the OP is obviously not feeling great so to say something like that is insensitve and nasty.

To OP: Just concentrate on exams, your parents jobs/money troubles are out of your control and responsibilty. I know it's getting yow down but you must put all your efforts into exams. and then in the summer hols why not get a job so you can hlp your parents out a little, or by offering to do more round the house etc. I don't think it's your responsibilty to bring in the money now your dad has lost his job, your parents may be feeling guilty of the extra stress they're putting on you. Have a discussion with how you're feeling, because it sounds as if you need support too.
Good luck anyway, I hope everything gets sorted!

Reply 5

andrewjh009

2

Sorry but i dont see that as being nasty i have simply stated that a proportion of the blame for the financial difficulty can be attributed to the parent rather than the big bad inland revenue

Reply 6

À la mode

1

Fair enough, it wasn't 'nasty' then, (me getting rallied up easily, sorry.)
I just thought it was a bit unneccessary as it doesn't help the situation does it? The point is the OP is feeling miserable, and I don't think we ahve any right to judge their financial status (or how it came about.)

Reply 7

andrewjh009

2

But often times people come here feeling misserable and i suspect the age and lack of life expereince of some of the posters simply goes to reinforce and justify the misserable feelings of the op without actually offering anything constructive, at least i am being realistic.

Reply 8

Anonymous #1

OP

andrewjh009

No offence but your parent being overpaid £6000 in tax credits should have been aware of this and reported the issue, no sympthy if the money was simply spent :smile:

How is my dad meant to know if he's been overpaid? :s-smilie:

He was meant to get 100 pound and instead got 400, at a time in 2003 when working tax credits were really really crap, and everyone was being overpaid or underpaid. The inland revenue admitted it was their error in 2003, but now have sent this bill demanding this money witihn the next 33 days, but have not bothered contacting us in the past three years. I don't expect your sympathy, but if it was his own fault then I'd deal with it, but the fact that he was none the wiser kind of makes me angry!

Reply 9

andrewjh009

2

*Ellen*

Fair enough, it wasn't 'nasty' then, (me getting rallied up easily, sorry.)
I just thought it was a bit unneccessary as it doesn't help the situation does it? The point is the OP is feeling miserable, and I don't think we ahve any right to judge their financial status (or how it came about.)

Thats ok ;spank;

Reply 10

sugar_cane

14

Concentrate on your exams...
The fact is, if you have good qualifications under your belt...(well later on in life) you're in a better position to find a good job that pays well...so instead of not doing so well at this stage, try hard to push it aside...
Good luck for your exams!

Reply 11

Anonymous #1

OP

Also, my dad and my mum filled out all the correct forms with all the right information.. so I can't really see how it is his fault when all he did was use the money that he assumed was correct. When the Inland Revenue give you money, how can you question it? I think i'm right in sayin that most people would think that the Inland Revenue are part of the Government and therefore, do know what they are doing!

Thanks for your help everyone, I jst wanted to talk about it really lol. Its appreciated! :smile:

Reply 12

The$W£D£

Anonymous

So, i'm doing my AS's. Already stressful enough, but at the beginning of the month I found out my dad just lost his job. It was okay, because my mum earns a pretty good salary so we could cut back a bit and manage. Then, the boiler broke, not such a big deal but cost 300 pound to fix, which is hard to scrape up when you only have one working parent. Then we receive a letter stating that, my dad had been overpaid on working tax credits in 2003, and owes 6,000! - due to no fault of my parents, but due to miscalculations of the Inland Revenue!

What the hell do i do? Because it is really just getting me down. I don't want to have the fear that my life is gonna be taken away from me, and that is how it has all made me feel :frown:

I get that money isn't everything, but it is sooo stressful, especially when you have important exams and you are just trying to sort out your personal life. Anyone in the same boat?!

what do you do?..nothing. Your family doesnt have to pay anythin if they cant afford it. Apply for EMA if you have 1 working parent

Reply 13

Anonymous #1

OP

The$W£D£

what do you do?..nothing. Your family doesnt have to pay anythin if they cant afford it. Apply for EMA if you have 1 working parent

Yeah I know, I would apply for EMA but my mum earns just over what the boundary is - pretty gay really :frown:

I don't mind about not having money myself. It is just the idea that my family can't live the life that, at 50, they kinda deserve!

Reply 14

andy_cole2

14

well concentrate on the AS's do well in the A2s then set up a search engine company in your garage with a catchy stupid name and a logo based on your inability to use comptuers properly..sell me a couple of shares and hey presto!

Reply 15

Margerie Dawes

Don't pay the money back they can try and take you to court but if you don't have the financial means then they will be forced to give you more time. They are clearly in the wrong only giving thirty three days as it is their cock up contact the citizens advice bureau or the inland revenue and they will probably give you more time.

'If you have been overpaid tax credits, the Revenue will normally seek to recover the excess paid by reducing your tax credit payments. The Revenue should not recover an overpayment that arose as a result of an "official error", so long as you could not have been reasonably expected to realise you were being overpaid. In addition the Revenue have the discretion not to recover an overpayment if you can show that this will cause you hardship.'

Also save up a few hundred pounds to put as an emergency fund just in case any more stuff needs paying for.

Reply 16

puppy

Your life isn't going to fall apart and your family be living on the streets for the sake of £6k. Just get your exams done and worry about it later; it's really your parents' concern, not yours. Obviously you're going to worry about them, but they're adults who have to sort out their own problems the same as you have to sort out yours, namely your AS-levels. It doesn't seem like a big enough deal to get that worked up over.

Reply 17

jose

10

We also got stung with a (admittedly smaller) tax credit overpayment without any idea it was happening. And neither my mum who is pretty decent at the forms/accounts having been self-employed for 30 years, or my uncle who is an accountant and looks over our financial stuff saw it coming. So i'd say it is the big bad inland revenue's fault. Thousands of households were in the same boat. Quick googling suggests that to get out of paying it back... "the test is that the Revenue must have made the mistake and "it was reasonable to think your award was right" or it would cause hardship to you or your family if you had to pay the money back". ~So may not be as bad as you think.

Reply 18

ladymizzteri

Anonymous

Anyone in the same boat?!

I know wot u r goin thru my dad lost his job and was studing for a new qualification so my mom was the one who was working by herself for over a year and a half, yeah money was tight but I think that if you all support each other, specially ur mom who will probably be workin real hard and your dad who will be feelin down cause he ain't got a job and it will make him feel a bit worthless, then u will get thru the tough times also try to save money by not using as much electricity eg turn off lights when u go out of a room. As for ur exams when u feel pressure take a break and talk to ur parents it is important to keep the lines of communication open. Hopes this helps :smile:

Also you can appeal against the Inland revenue just get ur folks to talk to the citizerns advice bureau like marjerie said.

Reply 19

sauce

13

No buses come and then four buses come at once comes to mind in regard to your situation.Crap attracts crap adn then produces more crap. And forms into a neat little crappy pile >.<
anyway...you were right to try and get support,it does help definetely, and anyone that is going to say it's your parents fault or say get over it or anything, its not fair at all
Owing 6,000 pounds is a horrible thing! Gaaaaaaaah, I'm really really sorry that your in that situation dude :hugs:

My Mum has owed loadsa money before, through her " own fault" when its actaully the error of the other people so I know how frustratign it is.
Chin up,take each day as it comes and PM me if you just wanna vent/rant/chat/dance :biggrin:

I feel miserable!

Related discussions

Articles for you