DUP hit out at Inland Revenue ‘errors’

The Inland Revenue has been severely criticised by the DUP for what it describes as the “scandalous” handing out of Tax Credit payments in Northern Ireland.

East Belfast DUP councillor and assembly member Robin Newton claimed he and several party colleagues had been contacted in recent months by members of the public who had been overpaid by up to as much as £7,000 in Child Tax and Working Tax Credits, with further payments stopped until the money is paid back.

Mr Newton said: “We are not talking about small amounts. The constituents I have spoken to have been overpaid sums ranging from £2,000 to £7,000 and the error lies directly at the door of the Inland Revenue and not through any mistakes made by my constituents in their applications for Tax Credits.

“Some of them have spent a lot of time and money on calls and letters to the Inland Revenue to query their award notices and yet are now faced with a massive debt. They have been told that as a result of this they will receive no further payments for the next six months and their awards for 2005/06 will be reduced or stopped altogether until the overpayment is recovered by Inland Revenue.”

Mr Newton said it was “scandalous” that those in employment whom the government decided needed extra money in order to afford them a reasonable standard of living “should now be forced into poverty and face massive debts because of errors on the part of the Inland Revenue”.

Mr Newton said his party would now be looking to meet with Inland Revenue bosses to discuss the problems caused by “the ineptitude of those in the Inland Revenue who are responsible for handling Tax Credit claims”.

(MB/GMCG)