MSE News: Single parents sent 'threatening' letters demanding proof they live alone

dipsy

I have looked through briefly, so forgive me if already answered

My b/f stays at my house a handful of nights a week as I am disabled and he helps me to catch up on washing and to make sure I eat a meal as I am unable to cook

He has his own place, pays his own telephone, council tax etc

I work and receive Tax Credits, my son lives at home, which I pay full council tax for (failed uni student) and HMRC are aware of him in the property.

What constitutes "living" together for the purpose of Tax Credits, he doesn't live with me he stays over... very confusing and want to ensure I am on the right side of the law

thanks in advance

pmlindyloo

dipsy wrote: »

I have looked through briefly, so forgive me if already answered

My b/f stays at my house a handful of nights a week as I am disabled and he helps me to catch up on washing and to make sure I eat a meal as I am unable to cook

He has his own place, pays his own telephone, council tax etc

I work and receive Tax Credits, my son lives at home, which I pay full council tax for (failed uni student) and HMRC are aware of him in the property.

What constitutes "living" together for the purpose of Tax Credits, he doesn't live with me he stays over... very confusing and want to ensure I am on the right side of the law

thanks in advance

I cannot post the tax credits guidance on this as the website appears to be 'down'.

If your boyfriend has his own place and pays all his own bills then it is unlikely that you would be classed as living together as man and wife.

Certainly from reading this thread the information being asked of those being questioned about living together are being asked for bank statements/bills etc as evidence that they aren't living together.

Some will say that there is more to living together for tax credits purposes than just the financial aspect and they do take account how much time to spend together/whether you're seen as a couple/share meals etc but what evidence they would produce to prove this seems impossible to collect. Hence their relying on paper evidence.

From what you say you are not living as a man and wife and I wouldn't worry about it unless you are questioned about it.

They only usually question this if someone reports you/there are financial links and then you can produce the evidence they ask for to prove that you are not living together as man and wife.

Don't listen to anyone if they say if you stay over so many nights then you have to report it - that is untrue.

Alevelintoldyouso

Freshstart2012 wrote: »

Has anyone actually had a response from Concentrix as yet ?
I can see from the above postings that lots of people have had to send in documentation etc but I haven't seen a post from anyone telling us the outcome of their examination, i.e. how long it actually took to get a reply etc.

Yes - single claim check letter from Concentrix received 5/2.

Researched the HMRC site and found instruction manuals. The section CCM15025 and TCTM09330 refer and confirmed that the other adult was exempt.

She appears on the Electoral Roll and Experian report joint mortgage.She provided a statement and the Birth Certificate proved she was the claimants mother. All post sent recorded mail.

Letter closing the check received 26/2. Single claim confirmed as correct.

The manuals are essential reading for a 'living together' dispute.

BargainJunky

We have not heard a thing from them. Ours was a joint claim which was amended in November as hubby had been made redundant. The paperwork requested was with them end January (cant remember exact date but have proof of receipt). To date still no paperwork received back and no further correspondence.

I may ring them Monday.

Freshstart2012

Alevelintoldyouso wrote: »

Yes - single claim check letter from Concentrix received 5/2.

Researched the HMRC site and found instruction manuals. The section CCM15025 and TCTM09330 refer and confirmed that the other adult was exempt.

She appears on the Electoral Roll and Experian report joint mortgage.She provided a statement and the Birth Certificate proved she was the claimants mother. All post sent recorded mail.

Letter closing the check received 26/2. Single claim confirmed as correct.

The manuals are essential reading for a 'living together' dispute.

Thank you for letting us know

Freshstart2012

BargainJunky wrote: »

We have not heard a thing from them. Ours was a joint claim which was amended in November as hubby had been made redundant. The paperwork requested was with them end January (cant remember exact date but have proof of receipt). To date still no paperwork received back and no further correspondence.

I may ring them Monday.

Good Luck with the telephone call on Monday.
It looks as though most people haven't had a reply yet, if they have they haven't posted here anyway.

Housing_Benefit_Officer

My understanding is these letters aren't 'random' but only being sent to people where a 'discrepancy' regarding the number of adults in the property has been discovered.

Most Local Authorities are using the same sort of thing using private companies to successfully uncover Council Tax Single Person Discount fraud.

This is nothing new - the letters are probably touching a few raw nerves - no doubt we will see a large number of potential prosecutions in the not to distant future.

http://archive.audit-commission.gov.uk/auditcommission/sitecollectiondocuments/Downloads/Flexible%20Matching.pdf

http://www.capita-softwareandmanagedservices.co.uk/partnerships/pages/single_person_discount_fraud.aspx

http://www.experian.co.uk/assets/identity-and-fraud/single-person-discount-verification.pdf

shegirl

Housing_Benefit_Officer wrote: »

My understanding is these letters aren't 'random' but only being sent to people where a 'discrepancy' regarding the number of adults in the property has been discovered.

Most Local Authorities are using the same sort of thing using private companies to successfully uncover Council Tax Single Person Discount fraud.

This is nothing new - the letters are probably touching a few raw nerves - no doubt we will see a large number of potential prosecutions in the not to distant future.

http://archive.audit-commission.gov.uk/auditcommission/sitecollectiondocuments/Downloads/Flexible%20Matching.pdf

http://www.capita-softwareandmanagedservices.co.uk/partnerships/pages/single_person_discount_fraud.aspx

http://www.experian.co.uk/assets/identity-and-fraud/single-person-discount-verification.pdf

What 'discrepencies' though? Some people are given the name of the person they are supposed to be living with,in some cases it's been the persons landlord or sister etc. In other cases,like mine, they have no details to give and don't know the answer when you ask what 'evidence' they claim to have.

As for those asking about replies,I haven't had mine yet,but considering I've been living on my own my entire adult life and am as single as single can be I'm not concerned that they'll still think I'm living with someone. The stressful bit of sorting all the info they wanted is done,if they decide I'm lying I will have hysterical fits of laughter tbh

Icequeen99

shegirl wrote: »

What 'discrepencies' though? Some people are given the name of the person they are supposed to be living with,in some cases it's been the persons landlord or sister etc. In other cases,like mine, they have no details to give and don't know the answer when you ask what 'evidence' they claim to have.

As for those asking about replies,I haven't had mine yet,but considering I've been living on my own my entire adult life and am as single as single can be I'm not concerned that they'll still think I'm living with someone. The stressful bit of sorting all the info they wanted is done,if they decide I'm lying I will have hysterical fits of laughter tbh

All of their compliance work is done on a risk basis, so something somewhere makes them think there is another adult in the house. They won't know whether that person is a Landlord/Brother/Sister/Mother/Father etc....in all cases. They could be getting information from credit data, tax systems, DWP systems, other Government systems. It could be old out of date data of course, but if people don't update their addresses it can cause all sorts of problems.

IQ

Cornucopia

It's not really good enough to use data for purposes it was never intended for to make these kind of allegations.