If anyone is able to help it would be much appreciated...I'm on the verge of tears and not sure what I'm going to do...
My wife has been diagnoised with Bi-Polar and has been for the last few years. Before the diagnoises she built up a big debt which I was unaware of but we worked through it and we have cleared it all off in the next few months. We have learnt to manage the mood swings but she still suffers heavily from panic attacks as well as anxiety issues and can struggle to leave the house during bad periods.
After she applied for all the relevant benefits, tax credits and child benefits she was accepted to receive Income Support, Tax Credits and Child Benefit.
We have kept the relevant people updated each time I have a salary increase and our situation and assumed all was well.
Back in November she went for her 6 month check up where her interview was cut short and she was told they would be in touch. They got in touch to say that she should never have been on Income Support but should have been on Employment & Support allowance stead.
They cancelled the IS and Tax Credits and said they would reprocess the claim for Employment & Support...After 3 months and them saying they don't know how to process it even though they had a letter from her pyschiatrist, they have finally said that an independant person had to be used to decided our case.
They have decided that we are no longer elidgable for support and because of my salary we are also except from Tax Credits...We are going to struggle to stay in our house but can just about do it if we cut back on everything and go back to basic living.
However, on top of all this, we have now received a letter telling us we have to pay back over £9,000 pounds which weren't entitled too...
We simple do not have this money and are going to struggle to find it to pay it back...We have done everything as we should have, as far as we are aware and don't know what to do about this...
Are we obliged to pay the money back?. We have done everything that has been asked but looks like it was processed incorrectly or something and now we have to return it all...
So confused and can't do anything until they open on Tuesday...
Thanks in advance for any help or advice.
My wife has been diagnoised with Bi-Polar and has been for the last few years. Before the diagnoises she built up a big debt which I was unaware of but we worked through it and we have cleared it all off in the next few months. We have learnt to manage the mood swings but she still suffers heavily from panic attacks as well as anxiety issues and can struggle to leave the house during bad periods.
After she applied for all the relevant benefits, tax credits and child benefits she was accepted to receive Income Support, Tax Credits and Child Benefit.
We have kept the relevant people updated each time I have a salary increase and our situation and assumed all was well.
Back in November she went for her 6 month check up where her interview was cut short and she was told they would be in touch. They got in touch to say that she should never have been on Income Support but should have been on Employment & Support allowance stead.
They cancelled the IS and Tax Credits and said they would reprocess the claim for Employment & Support...After 3 months and them saying they don't know how to process it even though they had a letter from her pyschiatrist, they have finally said that an independant person had to be used to decided our case.
They have decided that we are no longer elidgable for support and because of my salary we are also except from Tax Credits...We are going to struggle to stay in our house but can just about do it if we cut back on everything and go back to basic living.
However, on top of all this, we have now received a letter telling us we have to pay back over £9,000 pounds which weren't entitled too...
We simple do not have this money and are going to struggle to find it to pay it back...We have done everything as we should have, as far as we are aware and don't know what to do about this...
Are we obliged to pay the money back?. We have done everything that has been asked but looks like it was processed incorrectly or something and now we have to return it all...
So confused and can't do anything until they open on Tuesday...
Thanks in advance for any help or advice.