In July my wife left me at the time I was receiving ESA (support group), Severe Disability premium, DLA, tax credits & LHA. I informed DWP of the change in my circumstances and was advised that I didn't need to contact any of the government agencies as my change in circumstances information would be passed automatically. This was a godsend at the time as I suffer from numerous physical and mental issues. Today I have heard from HMRC saying that I may receive a fine of £300 for not informing them of my change of circumstances. I was also informed that in September my area became full UC so I will be forced onto Universal Credit without any migration protection, is this true? is there anything I can do?

Hi please please can someone help. I am at the moment feeling like I’m having a heart attack with actual panick attacks. I am in the wrong from what I can tell and I have read. Let me point out that 25 years ago I pleaded guilty to false representation for income support when I opened a business and didn’t go down the employments support start up route (dont know the correct name) but two dates and I pleaded guilty. Since then I have always stuck to the rules!! I claimed previously with my useless ex husband and then removed him when we separated. I then had my business and claimed single everything was fine! I took in a lodger he claimed housing benefits that was above board then he moved in above my business again above board. We did see each other on and off! I had to go bankrupt In 201 1due to ex and could not get bank account so the lodger/tenant got me a business account (registered at my address) as my business and he opened a savings account for me to use as I wasn’t allowed one my TC and CTC went into it. Then we started seeing each other and opened a joint account in 2014 (he was still in my flat) but account registered at my home address. Mainly as he had lodged there and had not changed post and also as I was using it. We split up again in 2015 and he was still at my flat till June (have bills and council tax letters confirming he was there till then) when I got rid of the flat and business. He then moved into my caravan and I used the rent to help me through university to change my life. In 2016 we started a proper go at things and I changed my name by deed poll to his before qualifying from my degree as didn’t want it in ex name. In jan 17 I declared in writing to TC that he had moved in provided his last 3 months wage slips and his NI and dob and he signed as well. I didn’t think anything more of it as money went down the same as it went down when I notified them of my first full time employment after uni. It further went down when I changed jobs again everytime I wrote to them. I wrote to them 31 May 18’and told them son had left full time education expecting it to stop. Last week I got a compliance letter asking if I knew my partner which of course I do. I then started to panic. I am terrible with the renewal notices I just don’t bother opening them (stupid I know) I just check what’s gone into my account to see if changes have been made. They have asked for information for 3 months 6/4/17 to 6/7/17 which I have and shows him with me as you would expect. I then rang them as I noticed money for ct was still being paid. I mentioned the letter they said they had not received it yet had seen the online notification (child benefit) I did on the day I got the compliance letter from them. Even so not actioned that either as I had been paid. I asked about all the other letters I sent and she said hadn’t received any!!! Now I know what it sounds like but I sent them! I don’t know what to do. I am scared they will accuse me of fraud when that has never been my intentions. I don’t know what to do. Do I send them the copy letter which I have about jan 17 - we finally decided to move in properly as I had my first full time job after uni and had completed my 3 months probation period. I am frightened they will send me to prison. I am happy to pay any backdated money. I haven’t signed this years declaration as when I finally opened it I saw they did have my income correct which again I had notified them of but they didn’t have partner listed. What do I do. I want to be honest but frightened if I send the copy letter they will go back further and not believe the complicated on off relationship and friendship we have had. Will they only look at the 3 months they have asked for. If I am prosecuted I will lose my job and will never be able to work in the field. I can’t talk to my boss or my family. it’s taken me years to turn my life around. Sorry for long post but I’m at the end of my tether. Please help I’m in such a bad way

Hello, Can anyone give me some guidance please? I need to provide my figures for the month online for Universal Credit. The only thing is i don't know where to enter them and they were due yesterday but i cannot get an answer anywhere. I just need to know,as this is the first time,where and how do i do this? Thanks

Hi, I believe I've been incorrectly claiming Tax Credits for the past several years. I'm in the process of 'officially' moving in with my partner (we're getting married in a few weeks), changing my electoral role, bank details etc from my parents house. I looked at how I notify HMRC of my change in status (I'm self employed) and actually for the first time read the definition of 'living together as married' - which was a bit of a shock. Through total ignorance I should have been making a joint claim, not a single claim. I have stayed at my partners property varying amounts/increasingly over the last 2 or 3 years depending on our work, from not at all to just weekends to full weeks. She owns the property outright and I pay her no rent, but I have helped with over the last 2 years, bills, food etc. After reading the definition and other information I'm sure my claim is incorrect - I actually even have my single claim registered to her address (it's the only thing I have registered there funnily enough) so I'm amazed they haven't picked up on it after reading other posts on this forum - I was totally clueless I was in the wrong. HMRC have not contacted me about this, and have no idea my claim is incorrect, but I'd like to resolve the issue and pay back any overpayments which I shouldn't have received, I imagine it will be about 7-8k max. off the top of my head depending on what they would class as crossing over from single to joint, I don't really have a definitive date of when it should have been a joint claim as their definition is a bit vague. What should my first course of action be? Thanks

Hi I wonder if anyone has managed to have their tax credit overpayment written off? I got a letter in 2015 from HMRC telling me I owe £390 from 2009. I have no other details. They past the debt to Pastdue. I read all the tax help I could and found this “Claimant is on sickness/incapacity benefit Where a claimant is in receipt of a sickness benefit such as incapacity benefit or employment and support allowance, cannot afford to offer any repayment to HMRC and there is little prospect of them ever gaining employment, HMRC should write off the outstanding overpayment. If there is some prospect that the claimant may be able to enter employment in the future, recovery should be suspended for 12 months and the situation reviewed at the end of that period.” I wrote to Pastdue, sent them income / expenditure and said I couldn't afford to pay and asked them to write the debt off as per HMRC guidelines. I got a letter back a week later saying past back to HMRC I heard nothing till today when I got a letter from HMRC saying I owed them £390. I went back to my letters and checked my link, it's now changed slightly to this Claimant is on sickness/incapacity benefit Where a claimant is in receipt of a sickness benefit such as employment and support allowance, cannot afford to offer any repayment to HMRC and there is little prospect of them ever gaining employment, HMRC should remit the outstanding overpayment. If there is some prospect that the claimant may be able to enter employment in the future, recovery should be suspended for 12 months and the situation reviewed at the end of that period. If the claimant becomes entitled to universal credit then the tax credit debt can be collected by DWP from the UC award. I called HMRC to ask ask for them to write the debt off and was told I need to call back with a full income / expenditure but he said they don't write any debt off... so, I am confused as to why the website would say this, why I haven't heard anything for years and wonder what is the best way forward. I can't afford to pay them anything, but would pay £1 a month to stop any further actions. any help? thanks

Hi, Naturally looking for some guidance, the details are as follows: I currently have a repayment plan with HMRC for overpayment, which i disputed via TC248 and a further appeal, which HMRC failed to acknowledge i was going around in circles and just agreed a repayment plan. I have received a letter from Pastdue for a further overpayment, this is the first i had heard about this as i would have definitely challenged this all the way to court. One overpayment, i can stomach, but further miscalculations are frankly disgusting and damn right unprofessional from a systems perspective. I contacted HMRC and asked why they had not contacted me, they responded that they had a sent a letter which i clearly had not received, they advised to take the issue up with Royal Mail, which is laughable really. Ironically i was calm and polite on the phone and the lady said i was talking to her aggressively, which was utterly pathetic and frankly untrue to be honest. She refused to take full payment off me and said i had to deal with Pastdue, i explained i owe HMRC the money and wanted to pay and have no dealing with some half baked collection agency, she then promptly cut me off. So now i have a sum of £1700 owed which i can pay right away and i have submitted SAR. It's a matter of principal that i have not been able to exercise any rights that i may have and have been unfairly denied the ability to make payment or to enquire further as to how the overpayment was calculated. Will this affect my credit rating, can pastdue send bailiffs, do i have an amount of time, do i have to acknowledge anyone? Where do i go from here? and thank you for taking the time to read my post.

Hi I've just got a letter from HMRC regarding tax credit checks saying that they think my payments maybe wrong. I am on JSA and due to mental health problems applied for PIP taking the advice of my support worker. They want to see all my details,proofs of children living with me and proof of all my job searches since September. There was no change in my circumstances.The only change is my eldest turning 18 in January but continuing non-advanced education. They requested my details from 05/04/17. I have almost all the information they are asking for but receipts of spendings. Should I be worried?Is this a common process?

Good morning, I have found this site via various google searches and really hope someone can help. I have been claiming ctc & wtc as a single person but have a partner living with me. Stupid I know. It was always a case of I will let them know but never have. I have become totally reliant on the money due to large debt issues, payday loans, doorstep loans etc. No excuse, Im just rubbish with money and an idiot. Yesterday I received a letter from HMRC compliance saying they have reason to believe Mr X is living at my address and wish to check a 6 month period of my current claim. I rang up, told the adviser that my partner indeed lives here since the date they are querying, but volunteered no more info than that and was not asked. He said he would stop the claim and a letter will be sent re overpayments (around £3000 I think). He said I do not need to do anything further. Is this all I have to do? Is it only the 6 months stated in the letter they seem to be concerned about? I am terrified they will check my last 5 years of claims as I no doubt will owe tens of thousands. 30000 + I know have been stupid and everything else. Obviously havent slept worrying about the implications of court, jail and so on. My partner knows not a thing about this. Has anyone else ever been in this situation or similar that could give me some idea of what happens next. I am so ashamed of myself and feel ill at the thought of prosecution and it all being made public. Please please can someone reply as I feel bereft. Thank you for reading.

hi guys hoping someone can shed some light on this. applied for universal credits 14/12/16, handing in fit notes ever since etc been waiting since to have WCA and i called to ask what was happening with that on friday UC said my work group had changed to no work related activity and i wouldn't have to attended the appointment they scheduled for me, that for me is a weight off my shoulders since i have agoraphobia being forced to go to the job centre every month always ends up with me in a state crying because i don't want to be outside. anyway, the advisor couldn't work out why now that my group has changed, that there wasn't any payment issued since i've been waiting since Dec 2016. Case manager was meant to call me back friday by 6pm, which never happened. i've had problems with him before, meant to contact me before 6pm the day i called, this was nearly 5 weeks ago and i'm still waiting. anyway, rambling on here. i just want to know really peoples experiences once their work group changed, how long did it take to receive their back payment. My work group changed on the 16th so it seems like its taking longer than it should. im just worried because even though my group has changed, theyve told me that i don't need to go to anymore appointments yet another advisor that i spoke to said i still have to go. if i don't go, i dont get paid and then i dont have any money for myself and my kids to live on. hope someone can put my mind at ease since i'm getting stressed out which isn't helping my current condition. thanks guys

my son is at college full time, i am 60 and on esa as i can not walk, i receive tax credits for my son , was told when he is 20 years old thats in a couple of months, i will stop getting tax credits for him, any one know if this is true, as we wont be able to survive on my £73 and he can not sign on as hes at college full time.

Sorry for another thread but I really am in a bit of a mess/state at the moment and really need some help/advice. After sorting out my UC claim I totally forgot about a WTC overpayment I had from last year and forgot HMRC said to simply wait until I heard from them. Well today I got in from town to find a brown envelope from HMRC saying I owed £1,227.31 from when I was employed as an overpayment. I do owe this and am not disputing it. So, I call HMRC and they tell me that they have passed the 'debt' over to DWP (UC) for them to deal with and they could not tell me any more and I should call UC. I call UC and at this moment in time they say they have no notifications of this on their system however it can be updated at any time and that legally they can take up to 40% of my base award as payment towards the overpayment which works out at £127.13pm My UC award is £572.82pm and there is no way I can pay this amount each month for around 10 months with rent and bills to pay. What makes it worse is that the letter to me could cross and a deduction could be made with nothing I can do about it! HMRC said I should ask UC for an income and expenditure sheet to fill in so I asked UC for this and they said they could not do anything yet as nothing was on their system. I am now in between HMRC and DWP and do not know what to do howeber HMRC said I should be able to come to an agreement with DWP. I done an I&E sheet anyway and worked out that I have £13.92pm after all bills are paid which includes rent, utilities, food etc. What do I do now? Wait for the letter from DWP and then contact them to arrange a repayment plan on what I can afford based on my I&E. Do they have to agree to this if I can prove outgoings or can they really attach a larger amount as a repayment against the overpayment? If it is the latter I am 100% screwed and basically homeless or will there be some compassion based on my circumstances? One part of me is saying I should pay the balance in full by credit to DWP by doing a cash transfer to my current account as it is obviously better being in debt with a bank than the DWP and HMRC the other part of me says surely they cannot take what I do not have. I am very worried about this, what should I do?

Hello i wonder if you could give me some advice about Universal Credit. It is going to arrive in my area in a couple of months time. I am 67 and self employed and i receive tax credits. I do not receive any other benefit. Can anyone tell me if I will lose my tax credit when universal credit arrives. Thank you for any help you can give.

Hi Someone I know of is, I believe, claiming tax credits that they are not entitled to. They have substantial income from various places including rental income and the sale of another of their property. The child they are claiming for is with this individual half the week so 50/50 with the other parent, however they are claiming the child is with them 100% of the time. They refuse to share the money and ignore all requests to do so. He is self employed and is known to the CMS for hiding his income, it took them two years to get arrears off him. Any thoughts?

I currently work in education and get paid pro-rata, even though I work term-time only. I am looking for similar work closer to home to cut out travelling costs and if I am successful would be due to start in September 2017. In a regular job I would give a month's notice and go straight to a new job in September, because of working in education my last physical day at work would be mid July, I would be paid for at the end of July and I would expect any holiday pay owing etc and a P45 at the end of August. Is this correct, or in the HMRC's eyes do I become unemployed end of July and lose my tax credits for the summer weeks and have to renew a claim in September for tax credits. Tried ringing the tax credits but they were a bit unhelpful, with not really understanding the nature of term time working etc. I'm worried that I could be with no tax credits over the summer, and a new claim would mean I go on Universal Credit. Please advise

Please help. I have made a horrible mistake in not informing tax credits that I resumed a relationship with my partner in early 2015 and started living together. I had every intention of doing so but I became dependent on the money I was receiving and it's become harder and harder to admit to them What I've been doing! I have recieved letter asking whether I am living with mr .... (my partner) and to send documents such a bank statements, mortgage statement, car insurance, council tax. My husband is on my council tax as I always intended to tell them he was living with me again. He is also a named driver on my insurance. They want information and docs dating between 1st Nov 16 to 31st Jan 2017. Do I just send them Ono for those dates and see what they say? Or should I come clean about everything straight away. I have already updated my status online yesterday as I wanted to make sure I stopped receiving anymore payments. But instead of giving the actual date he moved in I said he moved in 6th Jan 17. I am now regretting this as I think I've made things worse. I am terrified that I will be sent to prison for fraud and that I will give birth in prison (i am due 1st may) I also have a 2 year old and a 15 year old. Please tell me what to do. I can't sleep eat and I have been physically vomiting all day!!

Hi there, I'm 55 and have a personal pension plan that has a value of £17600. Up until our disabled child was born I worked full time, when he was born I had to give up my job to become his carer. During this period of adjustment to our new financial situation we incurred some debt - £13000. I thought great, I can take it all as a lump sum and we can clear the debt... only we are in receipt of tax credits since our joint income, husband and my carers allowance = £21,000 per annum. However I've since realised that by doing this £75% of the lump sum will have to declared as income so basically will affect out tax credit award. So we would pay the debt off but have no tax credit income. So not really a viable option. The other option is to take the 25% tax free lump sum (to get the leaky roof fixed) and put the rest into the retirement savings account to pay the debt when I retire. If I do this, how will this this saving account be viewed for tax credit purposes. Will it still count as income even though we don't draw any money from it. It will be invested but could fluctuate wither up or down. Thanks in advance

I'm sorry in advance if this is a bit vague, but I don't have all the details available. I was contacted by HMRC a year or two ago, stating that I had been overpaid Tax Credits for the year 2013/2014. It came about because I apparently didn't tell them that I stopped using my childcare provider when I moved and had therefore been being paid the 'childcare element' for almost a year, that I wasn't entitled to. I STRONGLY disputed this because I phoned them when I moved to give them my new address, and am absolutely certain that I told them at the same time, that I'm no longer using registered childcare as my mum was now providing my childcare. It just makes no logical sense as I had moved 160 miles so why they'd think I was still using a childcare provider 160 miles away is beyond me... I was so sure that I'd told them, that I began an appeal and requested audio copies of my telephone calls to them within the month that I moved (and the month following, just incase it had taken me a few weeks) They sent me a CD Rom disc with two recordings on - one of which was a phonecall that wasn't even me, it was a completely different person asking about who received Tax Credits if her and her ex husband have joint custody..! The other phonecall was me, but wasn't the phonecall I was referring to (when I moved). So I responded again saying that one wasn't me, but that there must be another one, and apparently it doesn't exist - which is funny, because they had my new address, so it must exist as I must have phoned them to tell them! Anyway, after this I kind-of gave up because I was frightened (the overpayment is large..!) and I didn't feel like I was getting anywhere, that I was going to end up being made to pay it and I don't know how I can. By now I was also no longer a single parent (in a new relationship) so no longer in receipt of Tax Credits and therefore they couldn't deduct it from my award - they just kept sending me payment demands. Since then, I have moved again (last year) and so far I haven't received any more letters from them - I'm assuming they don't know my new address and therefore don't know where contact me, so I have been happily keeping quiet. However I am currently pregnant again and we are in a position where I may have to give up work following my maternity leave as we can't afford the childcare (we no longer have family help with that). Based on my partners income, we *should* be entitled to some tax credits which we would desperately need - but I'm too scared to contact them/apply, as I'm assuming they'll put two and two together at some point; they'll then have my new address and will be able to start chasing me for that previous overpayment again. Would this be likely to happen? I'm even too scared to apply for Tax Relief for my uniform/professional fees etc at work because that's through HMRC too and I'm scared to make any form of contact with them even if it's not the Tax Credits department, as they'll then know where I am We are really struggling financially despite both working hard (with good jobs and a fairly decent wage), so I just don't know how I could begin to pay it back if they insist I have to.. but on the same note, we also do need those Tax Credits if I have to give up work.. that's if they even allow it with an outstanding overpayment on file?! Would it flag up straight away about the previous overpayment, due to my NI number being linked to it..? Would it be dangerous to even apply, considering they'd then have my new address and my NI number will presumably flag up the overpayment again at some point, even if not straight away? Sorry for the long post, my head is a bit of a mess about it all..!

I was claiming tax credits, and due to not filling in their update form as required, they stopped the tax credits, and are sending me threatening letters to pay it back. they said it's too late and I just have to pay. this dates from around last july. to be clear, I should not be paying them anything according to my income, in fact they would owe me things, but obviously this depends on the claim being valid etc. is there any option besides just paying them?

Hi all, Our working tax credits have been cut and our child tax credits have also gone down, they're basing this on my partner's earnings last year, being over £18,000. Because of this our housing benefit has gone up and we now also get council tax reduction, meaning we're actually a bit better off now. My partner is likely to work less ours this tax year for his employer but we're not sure how much exactly as he works on an ad-hoc basis. Does this mean that we are likely to get a tax rebate at the end of this tax year if that is the case? The lady at HMRC was a bit vague and didn't really give me a helpful answer. Thanks.

Hi, We are a married couple. We are entitled to tax credits but not universal credit (due to savings). However next week I am going abroad (out of the EU) where we are building a house. We are still a couple but as I understand it with me being out of the country I cannot be on a tax credit claim (even if this would reduce the amount we can claim). I'll probably come back to the UK in September, but that's not yet certain - it could be later but not earlier. Wife will come to see me in August for a month (she works in school so no problem) Apparently UC is being rolled out in our area in late 2018. So is it correct to apply for TCs now (or as soon as I leave in the country) in wife's name? (Money will go into joint account) When I return to the UK then would that be a new TC claim (so potentially going onto UC)? Or just a modification (we'd still be entitled to TCs if I'm here, it doesn't make too much difference to our income)?

I have 3 children (3,5, and 7 y/o) with my ex partner, and we share care for them (they stay with me about 3 days/nights per week). Until now, we'd agreed to split the child tax credit, so I claim for one child (the youngest), and she claims for the other two. Now she's saying that doesn't work for her any more, and she needs to claim the tax credits for all three. Does the new legislation allow her to add our third child onto her existing claim, or will she come up against the 2 child limit? From what I've read, it applies to children born after 6th April this year, or to any new claims for tax credits. But it isn't a completely new claim in her case, so not sure if that makes it ok?

Hey i am new here i have a question in the tax year 15/16 i earned£11300 and in 16/17 i earned £6879 i told the TCO in Oct i had a new job they worked out an estimate of£8000 for the year does anyone know if i will be due money back from them or if i wont be so lucky lol many thanks

Hi, I live with my husband, we are both self employed, I had a baby in September and receive Maternity allowance. I was also receiving Working Tax Credits and Child Tax credits, around £80 per week. My husband is currently quiet with work so we asked the council for rent help, they told us they can no longer help and we need to apply for universal credit. We did this (horrendous application system!) and in the meantime our working and child tax credits stopped, we were never informed this would happen, i wish i had just left it as it was. We were relying on that money and now it has just stopped! We both had a job centre interview yesterday which is part of this ridiculous process and my husband has to go back yet again with business details. He only earns around £5000 per year , they basically want to see if it is worth him running his business, if he earns enough, if not they will make him look for other part time work - how on earth can he do that around a self employed business that is on demand (ie it depends when his customers want him!). This is all if we want to claim universal credit. So, i assume they will say he does not earn enough and will have to find other work....we do not want to do this so my question is, if he says no to looking for other work, will we just get no help....even with a new baby. Am i correct in thinking that £5000 per year approx will not meet their requirements? Just wanted a little bit of advice before we see them again. The whole new system is ridiculous, i have worked and paid tax all my life yet when we need a bit of help we have to fight for it, yet people who dont want to get a job, try their hardest NOT to get one, receive all the help there is out there!!! Any advice appreciated

A while since I posted! Sadly we lost my Father in Law earlier this year. He has left us a nice gift though. The only benefits we get now are Child Tax Credits. My question is, should the inheritance be declared to them? I keep looking online but get mixed answers.

Hi all. I'm hoping some of you caggers will be able to relate to my experience and hopefully provide some advice. I've received notification from DWP that I owe about £500 in overpayment of tax credits. A brief overview of the issue: We were claiming £53 per week while I was working. My wife was at home looking after our disabled daughter. I ended my employment some time in April of this year, and attempted to apply for JSA. I was advised that my wife would be better applying for ESA and having me included on the application, which she did. We informed DWP that I was no longer working, but they continued to pay the tax credits into our account. It was a good job they did because two months, and then three months later we still had not received any of the ESA or other benefits we had applied for. We basically lived on family handouts for months, and relied on the good will of our housing association as we began to fall behind on rent payments. Our arrears on council tax and also TV license all mounted up. Thankfully in June I returned to work and the tax credits payments stopped. Now I have received a demand for payment in full or they'll take it out of my wages. I've explained that their mistake in continuing to pay us was all we had to live on due to receiving no other benefits, but they aren't interested. I'm not denying we spent tax credits and I'm more than willing to make affordable payments back. However, what I do mind is the fact that they want their overpayment of tax credits back but that was just a fraction of the entitlements we were never paid. We struggled like hell as a family and now we're trying to get back on our feet and paying our way, they are forcing more hardship on us. I just want fairness and a level playing field. Any help or advice will be truly welcomed. Craig