HMRC Compliance Interview - Work Details are Wrong

[sns2612]

Hi

I received a text message from HMRC on Friday stating I had an interview.

I rang up and was told it was to clarify my working details from 2022 - present and I needed to send in my P60. She has given me until the 12th of April 

The problem is I no longer work!

I rang up last year to inform them I no longer was fit for work and I had a successful claim for PIP.

She said she would update my claim and I'd receive new payments.

This did happen.

When I renewed my claim I did it from my hospital bed as I have severe Ulcerative Colitis and spend a lot of time in hospital (no excuse I know) I then had a serious accident in July and to be honest I have spent most of the year quite unwell so tax credits were the last thing on my mind.

I'll probably end up now owing about £18,000...I've got myself so chewed up about this I can't eat or sleep....

I'm so worried and convinced that I'm going to prison for a very long time and leaving behind my 6 year old daughter,

can anyone help?

[honeybee13]

Hello, welcome to CAG.

I understand that people always think the worst, but please believe me that nobody from this forum has ever gone to prison. Also, with the tax people Compliance isn't as scary as it sounds, in our experience. It's just a department.

You need to give them the correct information so they can calculate how much you were over paid. That will need to be repaid in affordable monthly amounts and might be deducted from benefits that you receive.

Please, please read some other threads on here about people who've been overpaid tax credits and how their cases turned out. Everybody starts out feeling like you and after the phone call, they say it was much easier they expected.

Best, HB

[London1971]

I have been through everything you have. Just was my wife who had the severe UC,  we owe them £15,000. Nothing will happen, if you are still eligible for benefits they will take a tiny bit off them to pay it back.  If not they will accept like a token payment per month according to your earnings.  We pay £50 per month jointly.  

Forget about this, it's nothing enjoy the rest of your weekend, you  deserve it.

[sns2612]

Thank you so much for your replies, I have had myself in prison for 7 years at one point after reading news stories.

I think the thing I'm most worried about is saying it out loud to them....

I'm migrating over to UC so would they just take repayment from that?

[London1971]

correct , that is exactly what they will do. Although you may need to explain how much you can afford.  They are genuinely very sympathetic to people on low incomes also, they may ask for an income and expenditure sheet, and will certainly take your illness into account, and need to get a note from your GP or consultant.

 

[sns2612]

Thank you. I do have a consultant and my Ulcerative Colitis is still severely active.

I think my main worry now is definitely plucking up the courage to just tell them what happened...should I do this in writing in reply to the letter I received or speak to them in person? I'm scared what they will say

[dx100uk]

just ring and tell them.

cant hurt you in anyway at all.

there is seriously nothing you need to be scared about whatsoever.

prison is only for the tax fraud gang members and for people that habitually and purposefully do it to strip the public purse and defraud the state.

not you !!

dx