Tax Credit Advice

Rocky78

Hi,


I'm looking for some advice for a friend. She has been married for 3 years now but has been claiming tax credits as a single mum. She now wants to declare that she is married and claim what she should be claiming but she's worried that if she does that she may be liable to pay back the last 3 years worth of money. If she tells HMRC that she is now married will she be asked to produce a marriage certificate? Can they check that she has been married for 3 years?


Thanks in advance for your help on this.

Flower08

Of course your 'friend' will have to pay it back. If she has been claiming money as a single person when infact has been married, she has claimed money she is not entitled to.

NYM

:undecided....and people wonder why they're being sent 'prove it' letters from Concentrix.

Rocky78

Yes that's the case. So her options are 1) pay all the money back she has claimed 2) carry on with what she is doing and she doesn't have to pay any money back. Any other options?

Icequeen99

Rocky78 wrote: »

Yes that's the case. So her options are 1) pay all the money back she has claimed 2) carry on with what she is doing and she doesn't have to pay any money back. Any other options?

OPtion 2 isn't a very realistic option. If you search for 'concentrix' online you will see threads here, on Mumsnet and many other forums of people receiving letters about undisclosed partners. HMRC are doing more checks that ever so it is a question of when, not if, she receives a letter.

Not only will she have to pay all of the money back but unless she has a really good reason for not telling them then she is liable to a penalty of up t o £3k and potentially prosecution for fraud depending on the facts.

There is only one option here - she needs to phone HMRC immediately, tell the truth and deal with the consequences. Anything else and it is fraud.

IQ

Torry_Quine

Just to say that being married isn't necessarily the problem. If she was living with him before they married then she was wron to claim as a single person then as well.

tomtontom

Rocky78 wrote: »

Yes that's the case. So her options are 1) pay all the money back she has claimed 2) carry on with what she is doing and she doesn't have to pay any money back. Any other options?

2) is not an option, it's a crime.

This has to be a wind up ...

NYM

Rocky78 wrote: »

Yes that's the case. So her options are 1) pay all the money back she has claimed 2) carry on with what she is doing and she doesn't have to pay any money back. Any other options?

It's a criminal offence. What options do you think your friend has ?

sxcizme3010

Has he got anything registered at her address? And I mean anything??

konark

Whether she has to pay anything back depends upon her circumstances and that of her husband. If she would have been entitled to the same amount of CTCs whether she was married or single ( e.g if the husband was unemployed or on a very low wage) the whole 'overpayment' can be 'notionally offset' so she will owe nothing. On the other hand if the husband was earning megabucks she will have to pay the lot back and will be lucky if they don't take it further.

Icequeen99

konark wrote: »

Whether she has to pay anything back depends upon her circumstances and that of her husband. If she would have been entitled to the same amount of CTCs whether she was married or single ( e.g if the husband was unemployed or on a very low wage) the whole 'overpayment' can be 'notionally offset' so she will owe nothing. On the other hand if the husband was earning megabucks she will have to pay the lot back and will be lucky if they don't take it further.

Notional offsetting is not available in 'deliberate error' cases. Unless there is a reason she failed to notify then she won't get notional offsetting.

IQ