family credit overpayment

[123bernadett]

we have been asked to pay back an o/payment of 500 plus for yr 2004/05.I recall reading in national newspaper that you wont have to from april. Can anyone help?

[bednobs]

contact them and make an arrangement to pay, otherwise it will just be deducted from your benefits before you get them, if you are still getting them. the sooner you sort it out the better, cause then you dont have this debt hanging over your head

[themas]

The family credit you mention is presumably child tax credit. There are no general arrangements under which you won't have to pay this back. In some circumstances it does not have to be paid, but these are limited to cases where the overpayment arose from an error by the tax credit office and you could not reasonably have been expected to know you were being overpaid.

If you are still getting tax credits the money will be deducted from your ongoing payments. If the amount they take is causing you genuine hardship contact them and try to arrange lower payments.