Thanks it's hard not to second guess! I will wait for them to respond and post when I know more

I forgot to add I know it will be based as fraud. As much as I know I was in a head in the sand way I did get renewal letter which I just sent back and never changed. So regardless of my state of mind it won't come away without it being fraud. I don't know the fact I had a baby in the time will make it worse even though I never claimed for him.

Hi thanks for the reply, My partner is living with me now yes. And no they haven't contacted me about overpayments but I know the time my parent was with me I shouldn't have got the tax credits. So I don't know the exact amount but I know it will be a lot. I just now can't live with it over my head that they will investigate at any time and I just want to start paying it back. I know it will be over 15000 I owe. I don't know the exact amount but my patner earns too much for us to qualify for any tax credits. Which I know sounds worse but he is in a lot of debt himself from loans etc. I am just terrified of a long process.

Hi, I have been claiming as single parent of my two eldest children since May 2013. I since had another baby i did not claim for. I wont go into the stupid excuses (im sure everyone has reasons but the fact is we claim wrongly) head in the sand as i had pnd which carried onto depression and i just never stopped the payments. My husband did move out the past year but i have no proof so will have to accept this as part of the timescale. I think the amount could be as much as £27,000. I have a written a letter to them - I'm not being investigated. i have own up to the times and dates. I want to pay back as much as i can afford per month and have as small as it seems £1400 now that I wan to transfer to them. I have been reading lost of cases for this high amount that can go to court and end up some in prison. Prison I couldn't deal with - a suspended sentence I could but its the length of time it will take to get there an the standing in court - I just dont know if I can cope with this anxiety(as much as I know I deserve it). I know its a large amount - and I know anything over £10,000 is a high possibility for court. But is there any chance from people knowledge that It could be just dealt with in a civil prosecution? Thanks