HMRC- Compliance Interview tax credits **RESOLVED**

[Nervous1234]

Hi ,

I have been in receipt of tax credits and received a letter saying they need to have a phone interview with me and I have gotten myself into a terrible state of worry over it.

 

When I have logged back on to my claim I have realised that there was still a record of me paying weekly nursery fees- my son is now 8! 
 

Has anyone had anything similar to this and been prosecuted or is it a case of repaying any overpayments? 
 

thanks 

[dx100uk]

mostly just a case of repaying what you owe . IF you owe it.

are you currently getting any benefits from them?

plenty of compliance interview threads here 

have a good read of at least 20 of them.

no need to worry , you wont get prosecuted.

then comeback with any questions.

[unclebulgaria67]

Yes there have been similar HMRC TC cases reported.  As dx says, the just want the correct information and you will end up with a debt that you would owe,  which can be repaid over a period of time.

Tax Credits are coming to an end by the end of this year and people are in the process of being invited to claim Universal Credit instead. If there is  TC overpayment debt outstanding without a repayment plan, the amount would be advised to DWP and they would deduct from any benefits you had.

[Nervous1234]

Yes I have still been receiving payments from them.

I’ve been looking through all the other posts pretty much since I received the letter when I got home from work.

I thought I had removed the childcare costs from the claim when I changed jobs. It would have been during covid and changing jobs so I may have overlooked it.

I am worried sick. I want to cry. I also think I may have had my husband as self-employed and not switched him to employed when his company went limited, but I have always updated his earnings.

The dates they are asking for proof of childcare payments are April’23-Feb’24. I don’t have any as I haven’t paid for childcare. Any advice?

I am not in receipt of any other benefits only tax credits.

in my head I’m losing my job, my home and going to prison!! 

[honeybee13]

You're overthinking this, please stop. I think your state of mind means that you aren't taking in the words on the pages of the threads you've read.

You're not going to prison and you're not going to lose anything, nobody here has.

You need to get things up to date with the tax credits and arrange a payment plan you can afford, if you owe them anything.

HB

[Nervous1234]

Thank you. I’m definitely not in the right frame of mind. My work is overwhelming at the moment.

I suppose I just need reassurance.

I need to call them to rearrange my appointment.

I want it over with. I have Crohn’s Disease and the stress is not good.

[honeybee13]

So ring in the morning and get the appointment rearranged. Tax credits are usually pretty human to deal with.

HB

[dx100uk]

17 minutes ago, Nervous1234 said:

in my head I’m losing my job, my home and going to prison!!

not of those can ever happen.

 

[Nervous1234]

It’s the wording on the letter about penalties and prosecution- how can you prove you are not deliberately committing fraud. 

[dx100uk]

because you will tell the truth... as simple as that...a human mistake.

dont forget they do 1000's of these a day.

 

[anxietymax]

Following this as I'm in the same situation as yourself and my interview is next week week. Hope you are OK I feel the anxiety you are feeling

[Nervous1234]

Hi,

I called them and they did the interview there and then over the phone.  

It is all sorted now and it is as everyone has said.

Please don’t worry x

[anxietymax]

I tried calling and it just kept telling me they couldn't answer my call. Fif they arrange a payment plan on the phone with you thankyou for the reassurance I'm a wreck 

[honeybee13]

Thank you, Nervous. Could you tell us more about the conversation you had please and how any repayment plan was organised by HMRC please?

HB

[anxietymax]

Nervous I'm really glad you got sorted by the way 

[Nervous1234]

The guy was quite calm on the phone compared to my hysterical self .

He asked if I was asked to do the interview there and then on the phone and he simply explained that my award would be updated and if anything needed to be repaid it would be explained on my updated plan.

Turns out I had been overpaid but as far as I know they have been able to recoup that from my remaining award x

I rang first thing, the first time it cut off after 30mins and then the second time it was answered after 25 mins.

It seems these letters are part of migrating over to universal credit and I suspect I was flagged as I have not applied for UC when it moves over x

[honeybee13]

That's really helpful, Nervous1234. Thank you.

HB

[anxietymax]

This sounds like me too then

out of interest interest how much do you think your overpayment was.

I'm not off till Tuesday now I might try ringing in the morning before my interview at 2 was the phone call long? 

[Nervous1234]

no I was on the phone less than half an hour.

My original interview wasn’t due to be until next week.

But I rang the day after receiving the letter which was the beginning of the month.

I’m just hoping somebody doesn’t still call on 26th

. My overpayment was less than £1000 x

[anxietymax]

I'm.so glad your sorted you must feel so much better. I did try ringing after I got the letter but couldn't get through and haven't had a day off in which they are open so haven't been able to. I think mine is more than that but can't be sure which is why I'm on edge so much 

[dx100uk]

dont forget to update your own thread with this good news please Nervous!!

also please both of you.

stop using @username there is no need too nor is there any need to keep hitting quote. just type in the msg box

just makes a topic twice as long and difficult to find replies on small screen like phones.

dx

 

[anxietymax]

Well I'm really happy for you and apologies didn't realise I was doing that 

[Nervous1234]

This was my thread 

[dx100uk]

doh! 

sorry

thread title updated