Personal Cheque Received - Valuables Team (AG)

• Without any relating related correspondence, check the reverse of the cheque for a NINO or other information that will enable you to identify the claimant. And check for an explanation of what the tax credits repayment is for and which award period it relates to

• If there is no NINO and / or information, go to step 2

• If there is a NINO and / or information, go to step 3

• With any related correspondence, check the correspondence and the reverse of the cheque for a NINO

• If there is no NINO, go to step 2

• If there is a NINO, read the correspondence to see if there is an explanation of what the tax credit repayment is for and which award period it relates to, and then go to step 3

Try to trace the claimant again using the Access to DWP Data (ADD) system and the Tax Credits computer

• If you trace the claimant, go to step 3

• If there is still no trace of the claimant, but you have an address for them

• Return the cheque to the claimant with a free format customer service letter requesting their NINO. Follow the guidance in Contacting The Claimant

Note: It may be necessary to request more information or request a signature in some cases. There may also be cases when the payment has been sent in error and is for Income Tax purposes. These last cases must be re-directed to AO Shipley for processing

• Use Function MAINTAIN HOUSEHOLD NOTES to record your actions

Notes:

You must follow the guidance in How To Correctly Complete Application And Household Notes when you record the note

And also

Follow the guidance in Maintain Household Notes

• Take no further action

• If there is still no trace of the claimant and you have no address for them,

• Send two copies of the free format customer services letter to the bank address on the cheque with a reply paid envelope, requesting them to forward one copy on to the claimant to confirm their NINO, address and any other required information

Note: An example of the content of the letter to when corresponding with the bank would be

'We are returning a cheque for £50.00 sent to us by your customer Miss Smith

Unfortunately no correspondence was attached, so we are unable to return the cheque to request more information

We would be obliged therefore if you could return the cheque on our behalf requesting that Miss Smith re-submits the cheque to us the Tax Credits Office, tell us why the cheque has been sent to the Tax Credits Office and asking her to provide her National Insurance number and any other payment reference that has been quoted to her by any other HM Revenue & Customs office she may have

A copy of this letter and a reply paid envelope is enclosed for your convenience. Thank you for your assistance in this matter'

• Use Function MAINTAIN HOUSEHOLD NOTES to record your actions

Notes:

You must follow the guidance in How To Correctly Complete Application And Household Notes when you record the note

And also

Follow the guidance in Maintain Household Notes

• Take no further action

• Enter the claimant’s NINO in the Key Entry Data screen

• Select the All checkbox and the Summary checkbox

• Click on the [OK] button

• If the message ‘No match found’ displays, go to step 3

• If there is a claim. You will be taken to the Select Award screen

• Click on the year in the award period you think the payment will be in to highlight it

• Click on the [OK] button. You will be taken to the View Award Period Summary screen

• Carry out the following in sequence until you find an amount that is shown in Function VIEW HOUSEHOLD ACCOUNT that matches the amount on the cheque you have received

• Look at the Overpayment Outstanding field at the bottom of the screen for a matching amount. If there is a match, make a note of the tax year the payment falls in and then go to step 4

• If there is no matching amount, click on the [Schedule] button. You will be taken to the View Direct Payment Schedule screen. Look at the payments sent information for a matching amount. If there is a match, make a note of the tax year the payment falls in and then go to step 4

• If there is no matching amount, click on the [Postings] button. You will be taken to the View Award Period Postings screen. Look at the figures posted to the claimant's account for a matching amount. If there is a match, make a note of the tax year the payment falls in and then go to step 4

• If there is no matching amount, cancel out of Function VIEW HOUSEHOLD ACCOUNT and repeat the above actions in this step, selecting another award year to see if you can match the amount. If there is a match, make a note of the tax year the payment falls in and then go to step 4

• If there is still no matching amount after selecting every award year, check Function VIEW HOUSEHOLD NOTES for a compliance message to see if the payment has been sent to TCO in error and is actually a contract settlement payment following compliance action

• If this is the case, contact the Claimant Compliance Officer to obtain further details to send with the cheque to Cumbernauld and then go to step 4

• If this is not the case, identify the earliest award year showing an overpayment for the cheque to be recorded against as a payment in by AO Shipley and then go to step 4

• A Postal Order

• A cheque payable in Euros

Or

• The Print Payslip function is not available, go to step 5

Otherwise

• Access the Print Payslip function by selecting the desktop icon

• Enter the tax year the payment falls in that you noted at step 3 above. The date to be entered on the Print Payslip function is the date shown on the Post Room sheet TC63

• Enter the unique reference number, if known. For example, AA000000060504NM

Note: The payslip will show the unique reference number

• Enter the code number and the tax year end date, for example 060405, without any spaces. The code number is the NINO leaving off the last letter

Note: If you do not know the tax year, enter 999999 after the NINO

• Print off the payslip and attach the cheque using a paper clip

Note: For more information on using the Print Payslip function, refer to the full Print Payslip instructions which are available on the team

Then

• Go to step 6

• Claimant’s NINO

• Claimant’s name

• Claimant’s address

• Amount received. Both the amount of WTC and CTC

• Period of the award

And

• Date the cheque was received

Then

• Affix the cheque to the top of the form using a paper clip

• Go to step 6

• If the claimant has not asked for a receipt or an acknowledgement, go to step 7

• If the claimant has asked for a receipt or an acknowledgement

• Send a free format letter to the claimant with the following on

‘Thank you for your payment of £(the amount) received on (date). This has now been forwarded to our finance department for appropriate action’

• Print the letter and sign your name

Then

• Go to step 7

• Further action is required, for example, the correspondence may also notify you of a change of circumstances, a disputed overpayment or a complaint, complete form TC 648 with the following information

• Claimant’s name

• Claimant’s NINO

• Claimant’s date of birth

• Your name

• Your team

• Your location

• Your telephone number

• Enter the relevant tax year in the Notes section

• Enter the message 'Personal Cheque £(amount), (date received) to Shipley'

And

• State if you have sent an acknowledgement letter to the claimant

Then

• Sign and date the form

• Use the post distribution list to decide where you need to send the correspondence to and complete the addressee details on the form TC 648 accordingly

• Send the form TC648 and correspondence by transit envelope to the appropriate service team for their action

• Go to step 8

• No further action is required, go to step 9

'VA06 - Personal cheque repaid to TCO date (DD/MM/YY) £(amount). INTS (your initials) GRP (your group) TM (your team)'

And

State if an acknowledgement letter was sent at the end of the message

Notes:

You must follow the guidance in How To Correctly Complete Application And Household Notes when you record the note

And also

Follow the guidance in Maintain Household Notes

Then

• Go to step 9

• On the form, enter the following

• Claimant’s NINO

• Claimant’s surname

• Claimant’s initials

• Tax year

• Your name

• Your team and group

And

• Your location

• Print off the referral form

• Send the referral form to storage with the correspondence

Then

• Go to step 10

Note: Use a special delivery pouch. Pre printed labels with the address on may be available

Then

• Go to step 11

‘Sent to Shipley, (enter the day’s date and your initials)'

Note: The sheets will be held on file within the team