THIS week, our regular column from York Citizens' Advice Bureau looks at the subject of tax credits.

YOU might have forgotten the tax credits coverage in June - unless you're unlucky enough to be affected. But we haven't. And we're determined the Inland Revenue won't forget about it either.

Tax credits - Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit - are intended to help families keep a minimum weekly income. In our region, we wrote a report called Tax Credits: A Guaranteed Weekly Income? We found that for many, this so-called guarantee just did not exist.

Bureaux all over the country were advising clients who were being overpaid, underpaid, not paid at all, or being credited with too many children or too few children. We found people being required to live way below what the government said they needed to live on.

We sorted out problems for many people. But we know that many more people are still living in daily debt and worry. Tony Blair apologised in Parliament for the way tax credits weren't working. That's an acknowledgement that things are badly wrong. But we want them put right. Now, the Child Poverty Action Group is asking for support for a debate in Parliament on an amnesty for all tax credit overpayments for the first two years of the tax credits scheme.

We'll certainly be signing up. If you're concerned about tax credits, you could write to your MP asking for support for the amnesty. And of course, if you've got a tax credit, or any problem, come and talk to us in confidence. We're in the phone book.

Updated: 11:22 Thursday, August 11, 2005