TCM0069120 - Claims: pre-capture: TC1094 letter issued - customer queries

Checklist

Before you follow this guidance make sure

  • you have read and understood the guidance in TCM0112100
  • you have the correct user roles to follow this guidance. Use the B&C Roles and Access Catalogue. You can find this by going to the Benefits & Credits homepage, selecting ‘R’ on the B&C A-Z index, selecting ‘Roles & Access Catalogue’ from the Related links menu
  • you are in the correct MU. Use TCM0322460 for the correct MU number
  • you have access to the National Insurance and Pay As You Earn System (NPS)
  • you have access to the Self Assessment 2000 (SA) System
  • you have access to the Access To DWP (ADD) System
  • you have access to the internet.

Background

Cases are checked before capture against other HMRC systems to ensure the information we hold is correct. This may mean that they could amend the customer’s income, employment, benefit details or childcare.

This guidance is to be used when the customer queries the changes we have made.

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Guidance

Note: When sending customer, staff or process data to another individual or team, make sure you follow the latest data security guidelines or contact the Data Guardian or Data Security Team for advice.

Note: From 6 April 2017, customers will only get the Family Element of Child Tax Credit where they are responsible for a child or children born before that date.

Note: The individual child element of Child Tax Credit will no longer be awarded for third and subsequent children or qualifying young persons in a household, born on or after 6 April 2017, unless it meets the exception criteria.

Note: If you are dealing with a claim where an exception marker has been applied to any of the children/young persons included in the claim or the customer is reporting a change relating to an exception contact the Exception Team (This content has been withheld because of exemptions in the Freedom of Information Act 2000) . (This content has been withheld because of exemptions in the Freedom of Information Act 2000) For how to check if the exception marker has been applied, use TCM1000314.

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Step 1

If you are dealing with a WAM referral and it relates to adding a child already removed, go to Step 20.

If you are dealing with a letter from the customer and it relates to adding a child already removed, go to Step 20.

If you are dealing with a WAM referral for any other reason, go to Step 2.

If you are dealing with a letter from the customer for any other reason, go to Step 2.

If you are dealing with an expired BF, go to Step 17.

If you are dealing with a reply to a previous enquiry and all the information has been provided, go to Step 10.

If you are dealing with a reply to a previous enquiry and all the information has not been provided, go to Step 10.

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Step 2

Check the status of the claim. For how to do this, use TCM1000025

  • make a note of the award status.

If the claim is pre-award, go to Step 3.

If the claim is post award, go to Step 4.

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Step 3

Follow the guidance in TCM0076000, TCM0078000 or TCM0080000 to clear any outstanding incomplete or verification failures

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Step 4

If the claim is pre-award

If the claim is post award

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Step 5

Check the WAM or letter to determine if the customer has provided enough information to deal with their query.

If the customer has provided enough information to deal with their query, go to Step 10.

If the customer has provided enough information but you need to discuss the information with the customer, go to Step 6.

If the customer has not provided enough information to deal with their query, go to Step 6.

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Step 6

Phone the customer, follow the guidance in TCM0094080.

If you are able to contact the customer by phone, go to Step 7.

Note: Make a note of the phone call on a form TC648.

If you are not able to contact the customer by phone, go to Step 8.

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Step 7

Discuss the information or query with the customer.

If you are able to resolve the query with the customer, go to Step 15.

If you are not able to resolve the query with the customer and documentary evidence is required, go to Step 9.

If you are not able to resolve the query with the customer and no further documentary evidence is available, go to Step 16.

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Step 8

Attempt to phone the customer a second time at a different time of the day to obtain the required information or discuss their query. Follow the guidance in TCM0094080.

If you are able to contact the customer by phone, go to Step 7.

Note: Make a note of the phone call on a form TC648.

If you are not able to contact the customer by phone, go to Step 9.

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Step 9

Send form TC1109 to the customer

  • set a clerical BF date of 30 days in the future.

If the claim is pre-award

  • update Application Notes with the message XF03 from TCM0176020. For how to do this, use TCM1000028
  • take no further action.

If the claim is post award

  • update Household Notes with the message XF04 from TCM0176020. For how to do this, use TCM1000001
  • take no further action.

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Step 10

Check the information in the letter and, if appropriate, the information provided by the customer

  • photocopy any documents provided by the customer.

If the customer is querying the amendments to their income only, go to Step 11.

If the customer is querying the amendments to their childcare only, go to Step 12.

If the customer is querying the amendments to their benefits only, go to Step 15.

If the customer is querying the amendments to their income and childcare, go to Step 11.

If the customer is querying the amendments to their income, childcare and benefits, go to Step 11.

If the customer is querying the amendments to their childcare and benefits, go to Step 12.

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Step 11

Check NPS or SA to confirm the PY income for the customer and their partner, if applicable and compare this figure to the income on the system and the information provided by the customer.

If the customer’s income (and their partner’s, if applicable) needs amending and the customer is not querying the childcare or benefits

  • follow the relevant Changes guidance
  • go to Step 16.

If the customer’s income (and their partner’s, if applicable) needs amending and the customer is querying their childcare, go to Step 12.

If the customer’s income (and their partner’s, if applicable) does not need amending and the customer is not querying their childcare or benefits, go to Step 16.

If the customer’s income (and their partner’s, if applicable) does not need amending and the customer is querying the childcare, go to Step 12.

If the customer’s income (and their partner’s, if applicable) does not need amending and the customer is not querying the childcare but querying the benefits, go to Step 15.

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Step 12

Check one of the following websites to determine whether the childcare provider’s name, address, and phone number match the details provided by the customer

  • for England -
  • for Wales -
  • for Scotland -
    Note: Northern Ireland does not have a website to check if a childcare provider is registered.
    Note: For England only - the childcare provider may be registered with a childminder agency. The agency details will be shown on the Ofsted website.
  • go to Step 13.

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Step 13

Contact the childcare provider using the phone number provided by the customer to check

  • the average weekly childcare costs paid. For how to do this, use TCM1000139
  • which children attend
  • that they are registered with an approved body and what their registration number is.

If the childcare provider will provide the information required, go to Step 14.

Note: Make a note of the phone call on a form TC648.

If the childcare provider will not provide the information required, go to Step 14.

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Step 14

Note: If the childcare provider will not provide the information you require on the customer’s childcare, you must base any changes on the information you have.

If the income and/or childcare and/or benefits need amending

  • follow the relevant Changes guidance
  • go to Step 16.

If you do not need to make any amendments to the income and/or childcare and/or benefits, go to Step 16.

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Step 15

Check ADD to establish if the customer or their partner, if applicable are claiming

  • Income Support (IS)
  • Jobseeker’s Allowance income-based (JSA)(IB)
  • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)(IR)
  • Pension Credit (PC)

and compare this to the information provided by the customer

If the benefits need amending

  • follow the relevant Changes guidance
  • go to Step 16.

If you do not need to make any amendments to the benefits, go to Step 16.

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Step 16

Send form TC1110 to the customer.

If the claim is pre-award

  • continue to work any incomplete or verification failures
  • update Application Notes with the message XF05 from TCM0176020. For how to do this, use TCM1000028
  • go to Step 19.

If the claim is post award

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Step 17

Has the customer replied to the TC1109?

If the customer has replied to the TC1109, go back to Step 10.

If the customer has not replied to the TC1109, go to Step 18.

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Step 18

Note: Do not amend the claim or issue a letter to the customer.

If the claim is pre-award

  • continue to work any incomplete or verification failures
  • update Application Notes with the message XF07 from TCM0176020. For how to do this, use TCM1000028
  • go to Step 19.

If the claim is post award

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Step 19

Send any documentation to storage, follow the guidance in TCM0074140.

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Step 20

Refer the correspondence (This content has been withheld because of exemptions in the Freedom of Information Act 2000)

Note: Your manager should be able to provide you with the address

Note: If the correspondence refers to an exception, refer to the Exception Team.