tax credit help!

worriedmumm2010

I am looking for some advice.

Last year in May 2009 my partner and I split up following several months of non stop arguing and generally being unhappy. My partner had had several affairs and had money problems and we could no longer live together without it affecting our daughters life. I started a single tax credit claim for myself in May 2009. My partner would pay me £250 a month maintenance for my daughter and I would pay all the household bills, mortgage etc. He would still see my daughter when he liked and lived wit his mum. I did not claim any other bennefits during this time.

After a couple of months apart we decided to work on our relationship and he would stay at mine at the weekend. He would still pay the £250 maintenance and I would still pay all the bills.

In October 2009 we decided that he should move back in. I ended my single claim and started a joint claim for tax credits. From then on he would pay £500 in to my bank as he was now helping with my bills etc.

I felt that we had acted in the right way and I had always kept my claim up to date.

I recently received my renewal pack through for last years award. On reading through the help pack it states on there that if you are couple and having a trial separation then you should continue your joint claim. Since reading this I cannot stop worrying that I have somehow claimed incorrectly. The worry that one day they might look at my claim and think that I have broken the rules and put me in jail terrifies me. I cannot live like that and I want to put the claim right.

I want to contact them and ask them to change my single claim from May 09-start Oct09 to a joint claim as we reconciled our relationship. Firstly do you think they will do this? I am happy to pay back the overpayment that will obviously occur but will need to do this in instalments of some kind? Also will they take into account the Tax Credits I would of received during the joint claim when working out the overpayment.

I am probably completely over reacting but I am the type of person who worries about things too much and can get depressed very easily.. I can already see the stress this whole worry is putting on our relationship and I do not want to jeopardise this. I am not getting investigated or anything by tax credits this is just me tryin to put my claim right if infact it is wrong?

DX2

Personally I think you are worrying over nothing, you informed TC of the changes that happened as they happened I shouldn't think you have done anything wrong TBH.

worriedmumm2010

Thanks for your comment. I must admit sometimes i do over react about things but its in my nature to worry! I have just heard so many horror stories about tc and I did not want to do the wrong thing.

themonkeybutler

You did exactly the right thing - there is zero chance of "getting into trouble" over it.