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

Cyberman60

blondebubbles wrote: »

Tax credits operate a "pay now and check later" system so if you make a fraudulent claim as a single person then it won't generally be picked up at the processing stage.

That sums up exactly why the welfare system is in such a mess with massive fraud and costs 200 Billion pounds a year. :mad:

Harley8

Our constitutional right in law is a presumption of innocence and that the burden of proof lies in the person making the accusation.. So I find it awfully strange that they are theoretically accusing people in the letters sent and making THEM then prove their innocence.. Surely if any of these people actually were committing fraud and got taken to court then a good solicitor would get them off on a technical hitch to do with these letters??

Anyway.. It's a grey area generally.... What if an ex partner pays for something within the house as part of the maintenance.. A bill in someone else's name doesn't mean they live there? My mum paid for my telephone line for a long time and she didn't live with me... My mobile contract and a bank account are registered under my parents house from years ago but I don't live there..

I suppose you just have to cover your back if there is anything which may 'look like' someone is living there... If someone else pays a bill at your address, download a legal template which you can both sign

shegirl

restless6 wrote: »

I am a single working parent and receive tax credits.

I wouldnt be worried about being asked to prove i live alone, because i do live alone, apart from my children of course.

It is surely only a problem for someone who has been telling porkies?

Not in one sense,it's a pain in the backside,especially with paperless billing and the deadlines given it can take so long for the letter to arrive.

I got one of these letters,it states they have 'evidence' that I am living with someone. I actually laughed.

The letter states to call or send a list on info in,I phoned to ask what they were on and they couldn't tell me why they think I'm living with someone nor what 'evidence' they can't possibly have. Others have been given specific names,in some cases,one of which was somebodys landlord,another was the woman herself under her married name (now divorced)!!!

I now have to send in bank statements for all bank accounts (3 accounts,paperless statements),household bills (all paperless),council tax bill and similar,to cover April 2014-January 2015.

A lot of people have paperless billing these days. Some people will not have bills etc covering the previous year. People on prepay gas and electricity meters don't get bills but need to send proof of these accounts being in their names for the specified period.

I got my letter two weeks after the date on it,which means there is two weeks less time to get everything together and run the printer into the ground!

Yes,I know I live alone and they cannot possibly say otherwise. But what about the times people cannot get everything together in the allotted timescale,especially with the above issues?

I also don't like how they tell you they have evidence but when you call and ask why you have got this letter they either have a name or tell you they have no idea why they think you are living with someone (and therefore clearly have no possible evidence),it makes it appear rather random but it is accusatory.

I have no qualms with them checking things but doing so in an accusatory manner,claiming they have evidence but tell you on the phone they don't know,is rather off.

Viberduo

I am lucky I havent had one of these letters as I am a single person with a 2 bedroom flat(before anyone starts its cheaper than renting a 1 bedroom as its in a rougher area so not many want to live here) That should trigger a flag really I assume, but I wonder if the fact I get letters bank statements, bank cards for ex tenants(I just return to sender) it will show as different males of the same sex living here(but like someone said before how do they know they arent gay)

Morlock

Cyberman60 wrote: »

That sums up exactly why the welfare system is in such a mess with massive fraud and costs 200 Billion pounds a year. :mad:

Less than 1% of benefit claims are fraudulent, and a significant majority of that £200 billion goes to pensioners.

BigAunty

Here is an article that claims the UK appears to be paying 200,000 extra lone parent related benefits than official statistics of actual lone parent households. "HMRC estimates that the government is paying income-related support for lone parents to around 0.2 million more lone-parent families than the ONS thinks live in the UK

" In other words, it is highly likely that the government is paying tax credits (or out-of-work benefits) to adults responsible for children
whom the government thinks are lone parents, but who are living as couples in the eyes of government statisticians, and there may be up to 0.2 million such families.

One clear instance where the government would be paying tax credits (or out of-workbenefits) to adults responsible for children whom the government thinks are lone parents, but who are living as couples in the eyes of government statisticians, would be where an adult living as a couple with children is intentionally defrauding the government by claiming state support as a lone parent. There is usually a strong financial incentive for families with children receiving tax credits or out-of-work benefits not to admit to having a partner, because entitlements depend on the joint income of a couple"

The article does list other 'benign' reasons for this discrepency, including accuracy of the data, though.

http://www.ifs.org.uk/bns/bn70.pdf

Cornucopia

Presumably the two data sets measure casual/intermittent relationships differently. Certainly, I wouldn't expect a census (or similar) to delve into the detail that benefit claims necessarily have to.

Your report is also 10 years old. Do you have any recent figures?

andy_spoo

HMRC are the biggest waste of space and resources in the country. What ever happened to 'inoccent until prooven guilty'? I've been lucky enough never to have needed to claim any benefit so far, but they sicken me. Over paying people then pushing them into poverty to claw it back, secret deals behind closed doors for there rich multi national company owning mates and now threats to single parents.

The people at the top should be sacked and the whole management replaced. Anyone with a brain knows why this is going on. It makes good headlines in Conservative newspapers. Conservatives get there money from big businesses, many of whome get to be consultants or on the board of directors for big business after they leave Parliament.

Practice your dodgy private school handshake, it's the only way you'll ever influence Parliament.

AMG762

Morlock wrote: »

Less than 1% of benefit claims are fraudulent, and a significant majority of that £200 billion goes to pensioners.

But a high proportion of pensioners vote in the general elections. They will always get the best deals

Londonsu

AMG762 wrote: »

But a high proportion of pensioners vote in the general elections. They will always get the best deals

RUBBISH as I said up thread my 84 year old Dad who worked and paid tax for 70 years and paid NI for 51 years had to show the same type of documentation bank statements, proof of address etc to get pension credit and HB, after he HAD to give up work due to old age.


How many people affected by these letters paid even a fraction of the contributions he did.