Need help Concentrix query

Kadjc2015

I need help. Ive always claimed tax credits as a single claim as i was a single parent. Last july me and my partner started living together so i wrote to tax credits to inform them of my change of circumstances. I never heard anything and i never check my bank statements. Yesterday i received a letter from concentrix saying i made a single claim yet they have evidence i have someone living with me. I was shocked and scared. I rang them right away and explained. They suspended my payments and said to send all my bank statements etc. Im now worried as i know i now been overpaid by 6k and scared to death i will be fined the 3k they threaten and have the police arrest me. What do i do?

allison445

First off don't panic send them all the information they have asked for make sure you send it either recorded or special delivery.
I had the same letter a few years ago I have older children with a different surname and I think the system just flagged up another adult at my address I sent them all the information they asked for and everything was fine.

Kadjc2015

Hi and thank you. I will send all information but it shows my partner on it too as he put himself onto the bills. Im in panic as it looks like ive lied for 10 months when i told them my change of circumstances but looks like they didnt update my files or didnt receive it. I dont know what to do in all honesty

Darksparkle

Do you have proof that you wrote to them? Did you make any attempts to call them to report the change?

Have you spent the money?

Kadjc2015

No i dont have proof at all :-( i wrote to them and didnt hear so stupidly assumed all was ok. Some of the money i can pay back right away but not the rest unless in installments

georgiasdragons

Whenever you make a change they send an amended award.
Did you not receive an amended award? But when you end a single claim think you have to reapply as a joint claim.

What you need to do is write a covering letter explaining you made the change and when, they will then go back to this date with an overpayment so you might not owe the whole year.

You might still be entitled to payment and they will take the overpayment from your monthly amount.

When i had an overpayment i had to pay back 25% a month mine wasnt for this reason but they very rarely give you a penalty.

Kadjc2015

Hi...i have never had to make an amendment so didnt know i would get any more paperwork :-(

I intend to send them what they have asked for with a covering letter. And intend to pay all of the overpayment back even if its 6k as im mortified to be honest.

I am so scared of a fine/penalty as it does look like i may have committed fraud when i honestly havnt. Lets just pray and hope i only have to repay the repayment.

Darksparkle

Unfortunately no one on here can say if a penalty will be charged or any further action taken. However it is very rare for these things to happen.

It's more important to them to correct the claim and get the money back.

As you've said, provide what they ask for, confirm the date the change happened and that you wrote to HMRC and are willing to repay any overpayment.

Check to see if you are eligible to claim as a couple, if so ask for notional entitlement. This is where compare how much you would have got as a couple of how much you were overpaid.

MABLE

Kadjc2015 wrote: »

I need help. Ive always claimed tax credits as a single claim as i was a single parent. Last july me and my partner started living together so i wrote to tax credits to inform them of my change of circumstances. I never heard anything and i never check my bank statements. Yesterday i received a letter from concentrix saying i made a single claim yet they have evidence i have someone living with me. I was shocked and scared. I rang them right away and explained. They suspended my payments and said to send all my bank statements etc. Im now worried as i know i now been overpaid by 6k and scared to death i will be fined the 3k they threaten and have the police arrest me. What do i do?

Did you not find it strange that despite you writing a letter advising a change of circumstances your payments stayed the same. Not checking your bank statements for someone claiming tax benefits is a pretty lame excuse. Perhaps it suited you to ignore the problem but only guessing of course.

Placitasgirl

Even if you "never check your bank statements" which frankly staggers me (how do you know your DD's are being paid, that money has gone in or out as expected?) did it not occur to you that despite having adult/another income in the household you were still receiving the same amount of tax credits?

I think you'll need to be ready to explain how despite advising a change to your circumstances you didn't find it odd that there was no change in the payments you received. If I had heard nothing in response to such an important letter, or seen any change to my payments as a consequence I'd have been back in touch with them to query this.