Tax Credits Review regarding income details, so so scared

[sososcared]

I am serious need of help and advice. I have made such a mess of things. It was unintentional but my own fault. Basically, I have recieved a letter ffrom HMRC saying that they have selected my award for review as they have found that information I gave them for 2011 is not the same as the information they hold. I gave an incorrect income (by stupid mistake and bad calculation!) I have now checked my P60 and found they are correct and it's nearly 4000 different from what I told them.

I have suffered from depression and am basically crap. I can be so organised with some things but really rubbish with others. I mess things up a lot, get things wrong and don't do things that need doing, like checking my award properley to be sure it is correct!

Now I have spend a few days not eating or sleeping and have finally found old P60s and TC award notices, they were all over the place...

 

Now I'm in an absolute panic as it seems I have put the wrong income for the past 3 years and that this years will then also be wrong. I know how I did it, its embarrassing to admit but here we go...

I get my P60s and then put them somewhere safe (if you know what I mean) then my review for Tax credits comes to being needed to sent back. I knew that there had been a 4% increase in salary so just added 4% to the previous years income details that were on the Tax credit form. I did not take into account the I had gone up a pay grade (forgot).

In their letter, they state that if they do not hear from me by the 20th Jan they will amend my award with the information they hold.

What do I do??? I'm so so scared. Am I going to go to prison? Will they prosecute? Will I have to go to court? Will I lose my job? Will they just let me pay them back? Although this will financially kill me as I have a loan and credit cards to pay off... Told you i'm not stable.

I need to go to the doctors as haven't stopped shaking. I'm so rubbish at stuff that when I finally got myself to the doctors in 2007 for help with depression, I never went back when I finished the first pack of tablets. I just never got round to it. Sounds so stupid Iknow but there you go.

Can anyone please, please help me? I know I've got it wrong big style and in such a mess!

Edited January 14, 2012 by citizenB
formatted for easier reading

[jadeybags]

Don't panic for starters. Can totally relate to what you're saying & I messed up to a year ago. Like me you were possibly a bit to blase about it all & didn't concentrate enough on award letters & the finer details! It happens. Now for a start you chose the best dept to not be on the ball with to be honest. Tax credits are very used to people getting their income totals wrong, & very used to claiming back over payments. They will want it back, & sorry but unfortunately they don't care if you suffer with depression, harsh maybe, but true & popular belief on here is ignorance is no excuse. But you would be unlikely to be prosecuted & you won't go to prison. They'll ammend your claim & adjust future payments to take the over payment back in installments.

If it had been housing benefit or DWP, it would be a different story, & you would be very lucky if you didn't have to go for an inrterview under caution. But tax credits seem to be very chilled at the moment with over payments. They certainly don't often use the word fraud.

[sososcared]

Thank you for getting back to me so quickly. What should I do now? Do I just wait for the award for 2011 to be amended and hope for the best or do I write to them explaining about the past few years cock-ups? I am so scared. I am a single parent with a 17 year old daughter. I have not claimed HB or CTB for many many years so thats not a problem.

I'm in such a mess but it is the weekend and doctors not open. i feel i need something to help me stay calm (er), maybe help me sleep as Nytol didn't do much... I got the letter on Wednesday but didn't make an appointment withthe doctor when I had the chance - what is wrong with me...

[jadeybags]

Honestly, they are not going to throw the book at you about this. Do you know what you should have been getting really? Have you been on the benefit calculator? That would give you an idea of how much you have been over paid. It's not usually as much as people think. You can always ring them rather than write?

[sososcared]

I have gone to pick up the phone to speak to them several times but burst into tears every time. I thought that maybe writing might be clearer and I won't blubber down the phone to them. Will use the calculator to work out the rough estimate of what I should have been getting for these years but it's not so much how much that is worrying me (it does worry me but will do everything I can to pay it back) It's more what they are going to do to me that is making me panic. Seriously shaking, too embarrassed to tell friends or colleagues (who are concerned that I look unwell, which they are putting down to the recent death of my mother, which is also killing me) I can't handle this at all.

Do you think I should tell them about the mistakes I've found or wait to see the result of review ?

[ErikaPNP]

You can do either. There has been a lot of these lately as HMRC are cracking down. Of everyone who has had the same letter that you have had, there has been an adjustment of their award and they reclaim the overpayment from ongoing tax credit. Of the people who have phoned tax credit to explain, they have been pleasantly surprised at how easy it was for them to do. Have a look at some of the past tax credit threads on this issue, and you will see that this letter is common and isn't something that is going to land you in prison.

[sososcared]

I have had a bit of a paperwork workout and I think I have been overpayed around 6000 over the past 3 Years. This is from working out that my actual income was about 8000 more than declared!! I feel so sick. What am I going to do. They'll crucify me. I'm finished. Dead. I know I should have done things properly and carefully but hindsight is a wonderful thing. Whats my next move. Call/write and explain what I've found or wait for the review for 2011? Once they have sorted out 2011, they'll look into other years won't they? So scared.

[ErikaPNP]

Stop panicing. Go back and read through the responses on this thread. Then read other threads about people who got the same letter as you. They will adjust the award and reclaim the overpayment from the ongoing award. They are interested in getting back the overpayment, not in crucifying you. Go and have a read of the other threads similar to your own. You will see other people who were just as scared as you are now, and what the outcomes were.

[jadeybags]

They'll definitely not crucify you, honestly. And it's a lot of money 6k, to you, but believe me, not to them in terms of an over payment. If they crucified everyone that had been over paid 6k, the prisons would be overflowing.

[sososcared]

Thank you jadeybags, I hope you're right. Do I write to them telling all or wait and see if they ask for any information?

[jadeybags]

Only you can decide that, but they'll probably look back further than one year anyway hun I should think. Just bear that in mind. 2k or 6k nothing terrible is going to happen, but if you don't mention the others years, you'll likely always worry? And the penalty they can impose for over payments is likely to be less if you disclose all.

[sososcared]

Thanks again. Maybe I should just write a letter explaining it all and send P60s for last few years to show that income declared were correct but have gone wrong for last couple. What a mess. I'll make sure I include that I will do everything possible to pay them back and hope that we can come to an agreement and that will be that - I think thats wishful thinking!!! Still so very scared. Feel sick, can't sleep, even with sleeping pills, can't eat and got the shakes.

Is there anyone who has gone through this? I've been looking on here but not found an outcome. Is an interview under caution likely?

[ErikaPNP]

IUC is extremely unlikely. There are others who have posted similar issues. Some have outcomes and some do not. People don't always come back to update their threads. I haven't had that particular letter personally but I have dealt with 6 people who have at the latter part of last year (I help people with their benefit claims) and out of everyone I've helped who have had that letter, there has been no further action other than adjustment of the award and the overpayment recovered from ongoing tax credit.

[sososcared]

Were they as seriously messed up as mine?

[katsayce]

Were they as seriously messed up as mine?

 

Just read and had to reply. I was in similar predicament 3 years ago they asked to investigate as, like u i had not been taking into account pay grade increases. I ended up being overpaid around £8000 over a 4 year period as unfortuntely they will go over a few years. I found honesty the best and wrote a letter explaining the circumstanses. They were actually ok as long as u r honest, outcome being i havent been paid for the past 3 years as they have been collecting the money as overpayment. this is standard.

[katsayce]

As for the depression are you seeking appropriate help? please go and see your Gp who can help. Honestly dont worry about tax credits just be honest and they will adjust ur award untill the overpayment has been repaid as they have done with me

[ErikaPNP]

Were they as seriously messed up as mine?

 

Some were worse. I can't get into details as the ones I am referring to are not on the forum but I will say that one had underdeclared three times as much as you have.

 

Just to add to katsayce's excellent advice, I'll point out that stopping the award to reclaim the money is not standard; it depends on each individual case. Some awards are stopped, most are just reduced.

[sososcared]

Thank you, I'll write to them and call doctors. So scared still. I'll be honest with them.

I wish id done all the checks and paperwork properly. So stupid. I feel sick and like I can't go on. Can't think straight. Maybe I should contact cab to help me???

[sososcared]

Should I just give plain facts i.e. Yea 2009 -P60 income = *****, 2010 = ****etc or should I go into more detail, explaining how I worked out me income for the review form, my circumstances and depression etc??

I'm going to call the doctors first thing as hawhen I was driving, I was looking at trees on the road side and thinking - just close my eyes and it will be over - seriously worried myself.

[sososcared]

Some were worse. I can't get into details as the ones I am referring to are not on the forum but I will say that one had underdeclared three times as much as you have.

 

Just to add to katsayce's excellent advice, I'll point out that stopping the award to reclaim the money is not standard; it depends on each individual case. Some awards are stopped, most are just reduced.

 

I think mine will be stopped due to the fact my daughter will be leaving full time education in about 18 months and my tax/child credits will stop anyway...

[sososcared]

Ok, have gone through everything and made a list of my working out to show them how I came to the figures I did. Its amazing the amount of paperwork I had around the house, P60s everywhere - old handbags, carrier bag lodged in the back of a cupboard etc. Think its time to seriously sort this out and get a file or something. I just put stuff somewhere thinking, 'I'll do that at the weekend/next week - and never get to it.

 

Do I send them the working out information too or wait to see if they ask how I worked out my income. I'm scared they will think I just put the wrong income on purpose and prosecute. I'll lose my job. Sorry, I know I keep coming back with the same thoughts but am in a big mess.

[honeybee13]

Well done you! That's a turnaround from yesterday and good to see. I hope you're feeling a bit better about this.

 

I can only really echo what others have said to you because I don't know about tax credits. But I know plenty about depression and would encourage you to keep going with this because when you've done it you will feel better. At the least, sort it into date order if you didn't already.

 

Going to see your GP is a good idea though, you have a lot on your plate apart from this.

 

HB x

[Maryj]

Hi there, try not to panic and let this take over your life. I was asked to provide lots of documents to tax credits under a compliance officer. My situation was a bit diff as I had a single claim, my on off partner stayed with me sometimes. I sent them off everything they asked for which I recieved back yesterday with a letter which basically said they did not accept the info I had provided and were going to award my claim accordingly.

 

I'm still not sure what they mean but my tax credits were never suspended and I havnt been asked for a phone interview.

 

Not sure if this will help but I felt the same as you and tax credits was all I could think about. You will think the worst as it's human nature but it won't be as bad as you think. Try and relax today and hopefuly when you phone them tommorrow you will be a bit more calm, write down what you want to say first perhaps so you don't forget things or get flustered.

 

Good luck with it

 

x

[ErikaPNP]

I think mine will be stopped due to the fact my daughter will be leaving full time education in about 18 months and my tax/child credits will stop anyway...

 

No, that's not how it works. It's only when you are just entitled to the family element on its own without the added child element(s) that payments can be recovered at 100% and the award stops - even then it's 'up to' 100%, they won't always stop the award completely.

 

When if your tax credit has a reduction applied due to your income, they will recover the overpayment at no more than 10% of your ongoing payment. In all other cases, they take it back at 25% of your ongoing payments.

 

If tax credits end due to loss of entitlement, they still pursue you for the amount - they just can't take it off an award.

[sososcared]

My letter has not asked for any information, it just says that my award will be amended with the income it should have said... Is this an investigation? Are they looking into previous years? think I'll tell them anyway but was wondering about just letting it run and wait to see if they ask me for anything??? So confused, head spinning - having trouble walking straight for some reason - almost feel drunk but not had a drink in weeks!!!