Please any advice, worried and feeling suicidal

[kardave]

Can anyone give me some advice, i feel suicidal and have no one to turn to, i am guiltyof claiming wtc still when my husband came back home for the last year, I have a son in long term hospital and suffer from severe depression myself, most days i don't know if i am coming or going, but have still managed to keep working. i had aletter from wtc saying they knew my husband was living with me, and i had 30 days to prove otherwise. i am at my wits end, do i do nothing , or just tell them that i have made a bad mistake and own up, will i be definitely prosecuted , will i go to prison, i don't know what i should do. i have claimesd about 2100, overpayment , please can anyone give me some help..

[rebel11]

Hi kar

 

If you are feeling 'suicidal' you should contact the 'Samaritans'

 

http://www.samaritans.org/

 

Declaring an overpayment isn't as bad as you think, their priority is getting the money back with penalties added. Sometimes things seen a lot worse then they actually are. You can also contact CAB for further help if needed. The amount you've mentioned doesn't look high enough for a prosecution, also if you contact them it shows that you want to sort matters and get your affairs in order. There are lots of threads with people dealing with the same issue - successfully.

[Gbarbm]

Google COP 26 (COP = code of practice)

This will give you HMRCs stance on recovering overpayments which should put your mind at rest.

[kardave]

thanks for replying, but i feel worse now as it says , that if someone is overpaid through fraud, they will be prosecuted. i don't know whether to contact them and admit what i have done or , it might make hings worse...

[Gbarbm]

From what you've posted I would say you had been negligent or careless but you don't appear to have committed fraud in my honest opinion.

You have mitigating circumstances which were that your son was ill and you too were unwell

Ring or write to HMRC and make arrangements for the overpaid amount to be repaid (they will consider time to pay)

I know it's easy for me to say but PLEASE do not stress out over this; making the initial contact is always the worst, but once you've done it you will feel better.. You can't buy peace if mind after all

[kardave]

hi , thank you for your reply , i feel much better knowing that there are kind people out there like you, that listens to your problems, i am going to bite the bullet and ring tomorrow, thanks once again

[sillygirl1]

Are you 100% positive they are right, check here to make sure

 

http://www.turn2us.gov.uk

 

This has a benefits checker, you may be entitled to the money anyway, don't write until you know for sure and send them the results from that site.