HB problems. Need lots of support please.

[Deleted User]

Just seen my accountant and he will sort finances for me once I give him details and give me a official document that I can show to HB (but I haven't spoke to him about HB issue).
I have all the transactions in my bank acc but I don't want to send 3 years worth of bank statements to the council.

dippy3103

Deleted_User wrote: »

I have all the transactions in my bank acc but I don't want to send 3 years worth of bank statements to the council.

They may well request them anyway.

Poppie68

OP you have been given some excellent advice but seem hell bent on ignoring it which makes your posting on here for advice somehow pointless.
You have and continue to commit fraud and say you are worried about be interviewed or being sent to prison, well your actions seem to be such as if you carry on this is exactly what is going to happen.
Your accountant can't help you try to wriggle out of any charges that may be brought against you and by delaying a visit or call to the housing benefit office you are delaying the inevitable and making your situation worse.
This is not a simple mistake on your part it seems to of been a calculated chocie you have made to commit theft and fraud, coming clean NOW is the only solution and a way to mitigate any action they will take against you.

Poppie68

Sorry also meant to ask....why on earth you think it is unfair if they choose to prosecute? Look at it like a contract ...you make the choice to commit a crime and in doing so agreed to be prosecuted if found out!
Not trying to be horrible but you have knowingly got yourself in a big mess and the only reason you now want to come clean is because there is a specific job you are after, seems to me that you would of happily carried on if this job hadn't arisen.

lukieboy96

You know that you have been overpaid and yet you still have not informed them. You should have told them before you posted on here. The longer you leave it, the more you will owe. And if the solicitor/accountant says when they got involved they may ask you why you didn't them then.

NYM

I find it very difficult to believe that you have had no accounts prepared for the past three years.
What about your Self Assessments ?
You have to keep full and accurate records to be able to complete your SA.

Having a record of all the transactions in your bank account is a start but how have you managed to separate income/expenses ?

I truly believe you may have more to be concerned about than the HB overpayment.

ekkygirl

I can't understand how you have claimed for 3 years without signing a new disclosure and spending hours up at the HB office pleading your case . I also can't understand why you haven't had to do books and self assessment for tax purposes. Much as I hate them I HAVE to complete every year without fail. If they are late I get fined so am mystified.
I really want to sympathise with you but Im struggling with the 3 year aspect so I can't

[Deleted User]

I will try to answer a few questions:

The job I am after is initially a 10 hour/week at a low wage.
I would be better off not getting the job.
But I am not happy with my business and I want to start taking another professional direction. The business is drying up anyway.

I have been claiming with my husband all the time, we received letters on the claim anniversary and when we reported change of circumstances. They didn't check every moth or every 3 or 6 months, but this is not excuse for me not updating and I know it.

Re: self assessment and taxes. I did it but did not do accurately, my books are messy, I declared some expenditures and not others, as I explained before. I hope the accountant will help me and today he heard me and said no problem.

The accountant has got nothing to do with my HB case. I haven't told him because there is nothing he can do regarding it.

I don't have a solicitor yet.

After I gone through my bank statements, I have now exactly all of my income.

So should I write to the council and simply say:

blahblahblah
We are writing to inform a change of circunstances that will affect our HB.
Our income has increased and we failed to update on time but paperwork will follow soon.

Will this be sufficient and class as voluntary disclosure?
Or should I write more in the letter, informing some figures too?

As I said, my H's figures are straightforward, I just need to send his P60s.
Mine are all written down but I still need to sit with time and organise, break down in dates and I want to type and print it too. It is nearly done and it is a quickly job now that I have gone through my statements.

But I have a child at primary school, work and study and my H works full time too. Sometimes I can't do everything in one go.

[Deleted User]

ekkygirl wrote: »

I can't understand how you have claimed for 3 years without signing a new disclosure and spending hours up at the HB office pleading your case . I also can't understand why you haven't had to do books and self assessment for tax purposes. Much as I hate them I HAVE to complete every year without fail. If they are late I get fined so am mystified.
I really want to sympathise with you but Im struggling with the 3 year aspect so I can't

I have paid a fine for being late.

[Deleted User]

Housing_Benefit_Officer wrote: »

If the previous Labour Government hadn't scrapped the annual reviews of Housing Benefit then these sort of cases wouldn't happen.

I recon about 50% of working benefit claimants are being overpaid as their earnings details can in some cases be 3 or 4 or more years old.

Of course the fault is the claimants for not keeping the Local Authority up to date on their financial circumstances.

So what is going to happen to all these people who are being overpaid and are not coming forward.
I guess lots will get away with it.
But lets penalise the ones who want to put it right and pay back:(