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

trollopscarletwoman

benniebert wrote: »

Shame that they haven't got round to questioning my neighbour who has 4 kids by 4 different blokes, claims IS, HB, CTS, Tax Credits etc etc purporting to be a single mum! Has her latest beau (father of the 4th kid) living with her and he tells those that will listen that he is now earning enough to get a mortgage of £200,000+. Makes you sick.

If he tell others his financial position then he has to be a fantasist liar.

nicki_2

They told me they were using information up to 15 years old for this address. That's even before my landlady bought the place! The reason my account was probably flagged was because my ex and I when he was here had a joint loan although that's long paid off, he was a second card holder on my credit card, we stopped the CSA being involved in the maintenance payments, we used to have a joint claim, and I started claiming as a single parent the day after he moved out. Maybe the system is set up by hopeless romantics that think all couples who separate get back together :rotfl:

They also told me that most people don't read all 3 sides of the letter before calling, and to be honest, speed reading through it the first time I took it as very threatening due to the constant mention of "penalties" and stopping the claim. I read it through 3 times, gathered some information (like the day I started claiming), searched the internet for what others had said recently about them and had a coffee to relax me before I called. I took it in my stride, but I can see how it would send someone more vulnerable quite easily into a panic and I can see why some people would see it as threatening. Of course, you've also got to remember that its possible not all the letters are identical in their phrasing, I might have received a 'mild' one compared to others. I know the letters should be standardized, but just tweak a word or two and it could have a very different tone to it.

missapril75

chanz4 wrote: »

...Would be intresting under the foi how much this company is been paid and why hmrc are not capable of doing it.

I'm sure HMRC are more than capable. But sometimes the government needs to reward its friends and supporters with these contracts. :whistle:

benniebert

trollopscarletwoman wrote: »

If he tell others his financial position then he has to be a fantasist liar.

Hello and you may well be right. However I read the story in the newspapers yesterday of the woman that claims benefits and admits to earning a million pounds through shoplifting. She admits that it is very profitable and doesn't see anything wrong in what she does. Maybe she is a fantasist liar as well?

girlsmum

I received a letter like that over 3 years ago when i split from my ex husband.. The problem i had was they were asking me to prove it, I i said how? as it was for me to prove he wasn't not him, as i was the one committing fraud not him :eek: seriously i was made to feel like a criminal. Not only was a going through a marriage break up and trying to work full time and bring up and support 2 children.
They wanted a copy of his rent book but he had moved in with another woman so was not renting. He had not got round to changing his address on CC etc, they said to me to return his post to sender, i said there is no post and repeated that all CC, banking etc is done on line...

Fortunately he was reasonable and got a letter from the council as he when he moved in with her, she lost her single person discount and the council wrote him a letter stating that he was at another address.

But it was scary and very upsetting at the time

MissMoneypenny

benniebert wrote: »

At one time no one was allowed anywhere near the general public until they had been fully trained and tested on their ability to understand tax legislation and how it should be implemented.

Tax Credits is an income based benefit and claims need to be checked. If you don't want your claim for benefits checked and/or you don't like who is checking your claim, then stop claiming.

dktreesea

"You claim tax credits as a single person, but we have evidence that there may be another adult living with you. "

I can understand why people would find this quite threatening. What evidence? And obtained how exactly? Yes, it may well be they are just relying on data checks and notice more than one person, at some point in the past, was using the address as their address. A fairly typical scenario, I would have thought, where couples have since separated. But I could imagine that people who have a partner that visits a lot might be concerned that someone had dobbed them in, even though, technically, their partner maintains a home elsewhere (e.g. at his parent's place).

alwaysskint96

girlsmum wrote: »

I received a letter like that over 3 years ago when i split from my ex husband.. The problem i had was they were asking me to prove it, I i said how? as it was for me to prove he wasn't not him, as i was the one committing fraud not him :eek: seriously i was made to feel like a criminal. Not only was a going through a marriage break up and trying to work full time and bring up and support 2 children.
They wanted a copy of his rent book but he had moved in with another woman so was not renting. He had not got round to changing his address on CC etc, they said to me to return his post to sender, i said there is no post and repeated that all CC, banking etc is done on line...

Fortunately he was reasonable and got a letter from the council as he when he moved in with her, she lost her single person discount and the council wrote him a letter stating that he was at another address.

But it was scary and very upsetting at the time

I can see where this could cause issues? What are you meant to do if an ex just !!!!!!ed off leaving no forwarding details- be punished twice? Once with the breakdown of a relationship and again by benefits people?

heatherks

my brother is single & self employed and works from home ..he claims WTC he recently got this letter stating they have evidence that he has a partner and names ME .. and asked to provide info as required ,,bank statements, utitility bills etc etc

i have already filled in forms as requested years ago (including a diagram where we all slept ) .. when i moved back into the family home to care for our elderly father

i know they are trying to weed out the benefit fraudsters but iut it is obcene that they make you feel like a criminal in theri opening sentence on the letter // when you are doing everything above board

Alevelintoldyouso

heatherks wrote: »

my brother is single & self employed and works from home ..he claims WTC he recently got this letter stating they have evidence that he has a partner and names ME .. and asked to provide info as required ,,bank statements, utitility bills etc etc

i have already filled in forms as requested years ago (including a diagram where we all slept ) .. when i moved back into the family home to care for our elderly father

i know they are trying to weed out the benefit fraudsters but iut it is obcene that they make you feel like a criminal in theri opening sentence on the letter // when you are doing everything above board

This is the same type of case as the one I assisted with. If you can click back to my explanation you will see that proving relationship (photocopy of birth certificate will show at least one shared parent) with your brother will bring an end to this enquiry.

My view is that the Electoral Roll has shown you at the same property.

In my claimants case the 'other adult' has the same surname and therefore is almost certainly a family member. No consideration of that fact is made in the writing of these letters.

The Claimant Compliance Risk Officer is supposed to have considered whether this is a family member - see manual CCM15380.