TCM0184060 - Notices - general: Notices - applicant notice queries
Background
An applicant notice can be
- an award notice
- a decision (rejection) notice
- a reminder notice
- an individual debt statement (IDS).
Once an applicant notice has been issued, the customer or their ‘Personal Acting Body’ (PAB) may contact you to query the details. For guidance about personal acting bodies, use TCM0066180.
The enquiry may be received
- in writing
- by phone
The query could be
- a request for an extension of the award reminder cycle
- a request for a copy or duplicate notice
- a dispute about the details on the notice
- a request for a correction to some of the details
- to report a change of circumstances
- a general request for the details on the notice to be explained.
Where possible, you should try to resolve the query yourself. Where you do not have the specialist knowledge to answer the query, you should pass the details to the area that can. For example, a query about a debt should be referred to Debt Recovery.
Note: The award notice changed from 6 April 2006 to give the customer a more comprehensive view of their award. For more information, follow the guidance in TCM0182000.
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: From 6 April 2017, customers will only get the child element of Child Tax Credit (CTC) for up to 2 children. If they are already claiming tax credits for more than 2 children born before 6 April 2017, they will continue to get tax credits for each of them.
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.
Note: Some historical NTC notices are no longer available to issue to customers. An unavailable historical notice may be required for an appeal or tribunal, or because the original notice has been lost / damaged, or because another government department has asked for a copy of a notice. The information can only be provided from the customer’s tax credits account, we are unable to send them a duplicate or copy of the original notice.
(This content has been withheld because of exemptions in the Freedom of Information Act 2000)
Guidance
To consider how to resolve a query about an applicant notice, consider steps 1 to 7.
Step 1
If the query is in writing, go to Step 3.
If the query is by phone
- confirm the caller’s identity by following the guidance in TCM0094120
- go to Step 2.
Step 2
If the caller’s identity is confirmed, go to Step 3.
If you cannot confirm the identity of the caller
- terminate the call
- take no further action.
Step 3
Establish what the query is about.
If the customer requests a copy notice, go to Step 4.
If the customer requests a copy IDS, go to Step 4.
If the customer requests a duplicate notice, go to Step 4.
If the customer has any other query, go to Step 5.
Step 4
If the customer requests a copy notice or a duplicate notice or a copy of the IDS, follow the guidance in TCM0184140
- take no further action.
Step 5
If the customer raises a query regarding anything else about their notice
- use the most appropriate function - ‘View Award’, ‘View Award Calculation’ or ‘View Application’ or ‘View Household Account’ - to enable you to respond to the query
Note: Navigate between the various screens according to the nature of the query.
Note: For more information about how to calculate an award, follow the guidance in TCM0132120.
Note: For information on the award notice, follow the guidance in TCM0182000 tocompare the details of the customer’s query with the details on the screen.
Note: For information on the individual debt statement, check the amount of debt which has been transferred to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), or Department for Communities (DfC) in Northern Ireland, for collection. For how to do this, use TCM1000633
Note: If necessary, you can navigate to other functions to help you to give a detailed response to the customer. - go to Step 6.
Step 6
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.
If you identify that some of the details need to be corrected or there is a change of circumstances
- follow the relevant Changes guidance in TCM0030000
- take no further action in this guidance.
If you are able to provide a full and acceptable explanation
- take no further action.
Note: Where the query is in writing, you must attempt to phone the customer to answer the query. Only where this is not possible, should the query be answered in writing on a generic ‘Letter For Computer’ (LFC).
If you are unable to provide a full and acceptable explanation and the customer says that they want to appeal,
- issue the ‘Appeals’ leaflet
- take no further action.
If you are unable to answer the query - for example, the query is about a specialist subject area, go to Step 7.
Step 7
If the query is by phone and within office hours
- transfer the call to the relevant specialist area
- take no further action.
If any other circumstances apply
- tell the caller that somebody will call them back
- complete form TC648 and refer the query (including the original correspondence, if necessary) to the relevant specialist area
Note: Make sure that you have the caller’s phone number. - take no further action.