tax credits letter questions

MissHesman

Hello I have come on here to try and find some answers to my many questions so any help would be great please.
So last week I received a letter stating that the tax people believe I have a Mr X living at my address although I am not sure from what date.(think this is a common letter at the moment)
Anyway Mr X has indeed been using my address as he is self employed and with jobs being what they are at the moment he travels to find it (he's a ground worker)
We have NEVER been in a relationship and everything is in my name apart from his car insurance/car loan as its his car and I dont drive so he gets that mail sent here.
I work 18 hours a week and I clear 109.00 and im always asking for more hours but nothing available and yes I also look everyday and im also currently completing a diploma to better myself.
I get my wages made up with working tax and child tax credit.
Today I spoke to a man on the telephone who advised me that I had to prove Mr X has been living at another address since my claim started back in 2010...I can't.
He moved into a flat share a month ago and im not to sure if he's changed everything to new address yet..this I will ask and make sure he does.
Anyways ive got to weeks to come up with where he has been staying or my tax credits will stop and I will have to pay back
everything as far back as 2010 and my tax credits will stop.
Now heres the questions..
1)If I have to pay it back (which is very unfair as he has never supported me financially ) and they stop my tax credits what the heck do I pay it back from...my 109.00 per week wage?
2)Will this also effect my child tax credits as they are not his children...will they also stop??
I cant see the reasoning in this...you get punished for doing a friend a favour...basically get accused of fraud as you have no proof of other address AND loose all your money!!!
I would have to give up work and go on benefits as I couldnt afford to live off 109.00 per week with two children and pay them back so much per week!!
If this was a female tied to my address with me would it be the same??
I thought they had to prove you are living as a couple and that the person has been supporting you financially....not say well he has a car loan at your address so therefore thats wrong and you're going to loose your tax credits for it...sooo confused!!

comping_cat

I would guess they believe they have evidence, as on all Mr X's official documents is your address.

Have you spoken to Mr X? Can he not speak/write to the tax people confirming where he has been living and that he has only been using your address for, well, whatever the reason is.

MissHesman

Means nothing and is nothing....I cannot see how someone's post coming to my house means I am co habiting and sharing money etc. Its really frustrating knowing ive done nothing wrong but because I cant prove otherwise and after spending some time reading other peoples situations I think the system needs to be looked at and looked at very quickly before more innocent families disappear under that poverty line.

And they said its not his responsibility to send in documents etc it is mine as its my claim,he has no proof he's stayed in hotels he's stayed in a camper van he's stayed on peoples floors....seems the forms need to say not only if you are sharing with one you cannot claim for a single person but if another adults post goes to your address then you cannot either!

kkcmum

there is a huge thread on this on netmums, i too have to pay back 10k just because i let someone rent my annex in my garden and didnt have a contract. they have stopped my credits too. tax credits are working with experian and if theres another adult associated with your address you will be flagged up and your claim looked into.

Anubis_2

MissHesman wrote: »

Means nothing and is nothing....I cannot see how someone's post coming to my house means I am co habiting and sharing money etc. Its really frustrating knowing ive done nothing wrong but because I cant prove otherwise and after spending some time reading other peoples situations I think the system needs to be looked at and looked at very quickly before more innocent families disappear under that poverty line.

And they said its not his responsibility to send in documents etc it is mine as its my claim,he has no proof he's stayed in hotels he's stayed in a camper van he's stayed on peoples floors....seems the forms need to say not only if you are sharing with one you cannot claim for a single person but if another adults post goes to your address then you cannot either!

Mr x should at least assist in proving where he has stayed. Hotels for example, will have records. You need proof and if he is a friend he should help you get that proof.

So, I would ask him to let you know the hotels he has stayed at, etc and contact them. Get a written statement off the people who's floors he has slept on.

You cannot give up your job and go on other benefits because you will be sanctioned for giving up your job.

MrsManda

Is Mr X registered anywhere for council tax or voting purposes?
As other posters have said it may be up to you to provide evidence to the HMRC that he really hasn't been living with you as it's your claim they're investigating but this does not mean he shouldn't help you by providing information such as the hotels he's been staying in, where he's been parking his camper van to live etc...

You say you've been doing him a favour so it's only right he should help you now.

As for repayments, if you have to repay the HMRC has a duty to ensure you're not put under undue hardship due to repayments so will work out a repayment schedule with you based on your income and reasonable outgoings. It may be that instead of insisting on taking cash directly from your current income they will take it from any future benefit claims you may make.

Just a thought but if his car insurance etc... is registered at your address are the companies involved aware that this is a correspondence address only?

shedboy94

MissHesman wrote: »

If this was a female tied to my address with me would it be the same?? - YES
I thought they had to prove you are living as a couple and that the person has been supporting you financially....not say well he has a car loan at your address so therefore thats wrong and you're going to loose your tax credits for it...sooo confused!! NO, YOU NEED TO PROVE HE EITHER DOESN'T LIVE THERE ,OR THAT HE DOES LIVE THERE BUT HE ISN'T YOUR PARTNER

What I would do is get as much info from him showing where possible the places he has been living. You may also appeal the decision and show full details of your income/expenditure to show no additional income to try and show you are not financially linked in any way. I didn't think car insurance companies allowed seperate correspondance addresses so I does seem he has been telling them he lives there.

MissHesman

He has been at his new flat share for about a month and his work have new address as does the bank.When he does this years tax return then of course it will go to new address and hes is currently changing car insurance and stuff over. I can ask him to get proof but cant see it happening...people can say yea he stayed at their address but there is no proof, hotels were paid for in cash so maybe and the camper van was parked on site so I guess the foreman may help.Just gets me that they dont say on any form if another person is associated with your address then you may not be able to claim.Ive read the netmums forums and there are some poor women on there whos ex's have moved out but are refusing to do anything as its their house and if they want post to go there then it will if they live there or not!!!! needs a review this tax credits milarky!

mildred1978

So Mr X has never stayed at your house?

MissHesman

may have stayed the odd night over the years but never in a sexual way as im gay and live my life as a gay woman...not that my sexual preference has anything to do with any of this. He has never supported me financially and nothing has ever been in his name apart from his car insurance,his bank account and a car loan thats it! It seems you cannot ever have a friend of the opposite sex stay with you for a few nights here and there and definitley NEVER have anyone post come to your house !!

mildred1978

Thing is, they are significant pieces of post. You have children - the tax office don't know you're gay. It's unusual to have such important pieces of mail go to a totally unrelated address.