Tax credits overpayment to ex-girlfriend of 18 months ago..

carl0s

dmg24 wrote: »

No, I am thinking that when people choose to live as a family they take on the liabilities as well as the benefits.

Irrespective of your feelings as to whether it is fair, you are liable for the overpayment.

I was legally forced to become a party to this thing. It would have been better to not do the right thing. I will think hard before putting my name on a tax credits form if there is a next time, and that will only cost the government.

dmg24

carl0s wrote: »

I was legally forced to become a party to this thing. It would have been better to not do the right thing. I will think hard before putting my name on a tax credits form if there is a next time, and that will only cost the government.

You were not forced to move in with your partner.

carl0s

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

You're lucky it's not a joint loan, they'd be able to come after you for the lot!

I would have been able to choose whether to enter into a joint loan or not. That's the difference here.

carl0s

dmg24 wrote: »

You were not forced to move in with your partner.

LOL, you said it. A further reason for men to avoid women with children. What a sad thing.

dmg24

carl0s wrote: »

LOL, you said it. A further reason for men to avoid women with children. What a sad thing.

The concept of family is clearly lost on you. Thankfully not all men take such an attitude.

carl0s

dmg24 wrote: »

The concept of family is clearly lost on you. Thankfully not all men take such an attitude.

I have a feeling more would if they knew the consequences.

I will be paying HMRC £34/month for the next twelve months and that's that. She will no doubt ignore the letters for her half, just like she did for the council tax, and water that I paid off/wrote letters to/generally dealt with.

Sixer

OP - what you're not seeing is that - for benefits purposes - people who are living together are seen as a single family unit. That's why you had to make a joint claim for tax credits. That family unit included your partner's children. So it's as if the children were your children and equally as if the tax credits were your tax credits. Responsibilities and income are seen as shared within the assessable unit. YOUR unit got more money than YOUR unit was entitled to in the period of time YOUR unit existed.

As much as the children were treated as if they were yours in terms of the tax credit award, so was the money in that tax credit award. The axe you're trying to grind is with the way YOUR unit divided up and spent the income it had coming in, not with the benefits system.

lorelai34

When you phoned the tax credit helpline did you ask for an explanation of the overpayment? They will give you an explanation of the overpayment and you should then have been asked if you understood why there is an overpayment on the old joint claim. If you understand and accept the explanation then they would expect you to make payments or if you disagree with the overpayment then you can dispute the overpayment in writing by filling in a dispute form.

carl0s

Sixer wrote: »

OP - what you're not seeing is that - for benefits purposes - people who are living together are seen as a single family unit. That's why you had to make a joint claim for tax credits. That family unit included your partner's children. So it's as if the children were your children and equally as if the tax credits were your tax credits. Responsibilities and income are seen as shared within the assessable unit. YOUR unit got more money than YOUR unit was entitled to in the period of time YOUR unit existed.

As much as the children were treated as if they were yours in terms of the tax credit award, so was the money in that tax credit award. The axe you're trying to grind is with the way YOUR unit divided up and spent the income it had coming in, not with the benefits system.

Yes you are right. I ought to be going after her for all the things I bought and paid, and that I am left with bills for even now, for things that she kept (that includes the benefits).

I'm sorry to say though, the lesson here is that moving in with a girl with children can have unforeseen consequences, unless you go so far as to open up your bank accounts to each other completely, i.e. a joint account. One can't simply move in and take things gradually..

dmg24

carl0s wrote: »

I have a feeling more would if they knew the consequences.

I will be paying HMRC £34/month for the next twelve months and that's that. She will no doubt ignore the letters for her half, just like she did for the council tax, and water that I paid off/wrote letters to/generally dealt with.

You do realise that you are liable for the whole amount if she will not pay towards it.

carl0s wrote: »

Yes you are right. I ought to be going after her for all the things I bought and paid, and that I am left with bills for even now, for things that she kept (that includes the benefits).

I'm sorry to say though, the lesson here is that moving in with a girl with children can have unforeseen consequences, unless you go so far as to open up your bank accounts to each other completely, i.e. a joint account. One can't simply move in and take things gradually..

What about moving in with a man with children, or indeed moving in with anyone? Any relationship has financial implications.