Received HMRC letter about tax credits. What do I tell them?

[susi72]

It may be that his mother pays full council tax, but they know who lives at that address. Your partner won't likely be on the electoral roll at his parents for all the years involved and this is one of the main points of a Compliance investigation's evidence.

 

I would be as honest as possible because the following : - he went back to his mums, he works away - are two of the most common statements made during fraud investigations by claimants during the initial stages or at IUC for an investigation into a single claim. The fact his parents or extended family have agreed to lie for you is perverting the course of justice. If this goes to down a non-civil route (which it will if you lie to them), then they will be involved. Don't forget, they don't just send these letters out randomly, these cases are picked up months, sometimes years before they attempt to give you a chance to confess. They have contacted you now because they believe they have enough evidence.

 

It seems to have been missed on all the forums but it was agreed last week that there is going to be a minimum penalty - an on the spot fine for any benefit fraud and they are going to start moving away from the "non-civil" routes. This is due to the changes coming in with UC and to prevent benefit fraud. Considering the fines go up into the thousands, it will work.

 

As mentioned, they have the power to go back many years. To be completely frank with you and to give you as honest an answer as possible; your planned response would ring bells for me due to it's similarity to other stories given and because the evidence they will have is that he paid the bills. To claim as a single person you must prove that you are not financially linked, which by him paying your bills you are. This is the reason the claims are all being stopped and people have these overpayments. Not because the partner was living with the claimant but because he was paying for them. A single person gets more precisely for this reason - they are supposed to be paying alone.

 

You have all the utilities, TV license, insurances in his name. Then you add the childcare into it. I would get down to the CAB and discuss making savings and planning control of any debts you have, because you are going to need it.

[susi72]

Caly it doesn't have to destroy you, ony will if you let it.

 

Just co-operate with the questions they ask and answer as honestly as possible. If you do this they will treat you more favourably than if you cover something up.

 

When they decide what action they will take, they will likely set up a repayment arrangement. It is still proceeding by non civil routes for these cases, only cases where the claimants have been difficult or evasive are prosecutions or high value cases.

 

You need to start planning a budget so that when your tax credits are changed you can adapt as best as possible, the CAB can help you to do this.

 

Thousands of people have been and are currently in this situation. If you speak to the majority who have overpayments on forums (because no-one admits it in real life) they will tell you that being caught turned out to be the best thing because the weight and burden was lifted. Although they had less money, they were glad to finally have things out in the open. I am sure once your case is dealt with, you will be the same, whatever outcome.

[susi72]

It is different for everyone Caly. With some it is only a small portion of time, others they want to go back. But as I said and I cannot stress this enough to you - how you act and behave towards them can be the deciding factor.

 

Get any information you think you might need and answer the questions they put to you. That's all you have to do. Give honest and truthful answers to what is aked of you.