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

Single parents have been sent letters from Concentrix regarding tax credits that some recipients say are "threatening" and "upsetting" ...
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Single parents sent 'threatening' letters demanding proof they live alone

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  • chanz4
    chanz4 Posts: 10,879 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post Xmas Saver!
    Isnt what they doing against the law, and if they are making false representation saying they have evidence that someone is living with a single parent liable if they don't.
    Don't put your trust into an Experian score - it is not a number any bank will ever use & it is generally a waste of money to purchase it. They are also selling you insurance you dont need.
  • I agree this is shocking behavior. Shame hmrc don't have a similar approach to HSBC and its tax evaders
  • dori2o
    dori2o Posts: 8,150 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post
    HMRC are damned if they do and damned if they dont.

    These forums have been full of stories and hatred of benefits claimants comitting fraud and claiming benefits which they are not due. People have been demanding that more is done to 'weed out' these fraudsters, well guess what, more is being done, but it's being done through a private sector company, who in the majority of cases are useless when it comes to working on Public Sector projects.

    The Public Sector no longer has the manpower to perform these checks due to staff cuts. Something else many people were happy about when they were announced. The cries of joy at the culling of the 'bloated' public sector now seem to be cry's of sadness as the private sector company fails to get its systems in order.

    IN order to investigate people with potential fraudulent claims it is inevitable that some genuine claimants will have to prove their innocence and show that their claims are genuine. That is unavoidable.

    It's a very good reason why people should check that their credit reports are up to date and show the correct data, including data on any financial links between people. This is the single biggest cause of people being checked regarding their living arrangements. If you are single but have a joint financial comittment, possibly from a prior relationship/marriage, then if this link is still present on the credit reference agencies files this could be interpreted as a potential case of someone making a false single persons claim, or possible failing to notify of a change in circumstances.

    The working hours checkswill partly be dwn to the self employed checks currently ongoing. Again their has been uproar on this forum about people who claim to work 30 hrs per week self employed but who make very little profit/always make a loss.

    Also, now that HMRC have a live link to weekly/monythly PAYE records it's easier to identify those who claim to be employed and working more than 30 hours, but whose weekly/monthly pay doesn't equal NMW x 30hrs p/w.

    As I've said you cannot have a large section of society make demands that peoples welfare claims are checked to ensure that everything is above board, and then complain when they do just that and people are 'put out' by being expected to verify their claims.
    [SIZE=-1]To equate judgement and wisdom with occupation is at best . . . insulting.
    [/SIZE]
  • dori2o
    dori2o Posts: 8,150 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post
    chanz4 wrote: »
    Isnt what they doing against the law, and if they are making false representation saying they have evidence that someone is living with a single parent liable if they don't.
    Who says they don't have the evidence? It comes from various sources including the Credit Reference Agencies.

    If you have nothing to hide you have nothing to fear.

    This action has been brought on by the viscous attack of those people on welfare, in many cases attacked by people who themselves claim tax credits which is a type of welfare payment, but not seen that way by many.

    You cannot expect there to be a surge in the number of checks being made without some genuine claimants being selected for these checks.
    [SIZE=-1]To equate judgement and wisdom with occupation is at best . . . insulting.
    [/SIZE]
  • dori2o
    dori2o Posts: 8,150 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post
    jobdone1 wrote: »
    I agree this is shocking behavior. Shame hmrc don't have a similar approach to HSBC and its tax evaders
    The problem is that currently there is no evidence that it is tax evasion, it's being described as tax AVOIDANCE, which currently is LEGAL, not illegal.
    [SIZE=-1]To equate judgement and wisdom with occupation is at best . . . insulting.
    [/SIZE]
  • Pincher
    Pincher Posts: 6,552 Forumite
    Combo Breaker First Post
    Once in a while, I get letters addressed to names totally unknown to me. Some of them look like credit card and even bank statements. Obviously I Return To Sender, but there is an American Express thing that will never stop. I have called American Express many times, but they refuse to do anything without speaking to the account holder.

    All they (HMRC etc.) have to do is look at addresses of people with credit card or bank account address that is the same as mine, and say they are living with me.

    There is another one which is interesting. You can get a discount on your council tax if you live alone. Do they try to catch widows with gentleman visitors, I wonder. I would use traffic wardens to record car registrations. If someone parks outside your house a lot, send in the inspectors. Don't forget, you could be gay.
  • michaels
    michaels Posts: 27,980 Forumite
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    As citizens of the UK we are lucky to be eligible for a range of social security payments, paid for by those who are lucky enough not to need such payments and to be earning enough to be able to spare some of their income to help those less fortunate. To ensure that such payments are affordable and make sure that those who pay feel they are not being taken advantage of it is only reasonable that the payments are only made to those who are entitled to them. Thus those in receipt of such payments should not be surprised that they should need to demonstrate their entitlement - otherwise what is to stop those who are not entitled from claiming?

    Having said all that, threateing those with limited means with a removal of income they need to live on and then not having the systems in place to actually respond when they try to find out how to send the evidence confirming their entitlement is completely unreasonable.
    I think....
  • I think it is only right that these things should be checked on and have no quarms with people being given a set time to do it in. The only problem I see here is with the systems that aren't allowing the process to be a smooth one.
  • Londonsu
    Londonsu Posts: 1,391 Forumite
    edited 13 February 2015 at 1:59PM
    Even my 84 year old Dad who worked for 70 years, paid tax for 70 years and NI for 51 years had to prove that he was entitled to pension credit, housing benefit and council tax relief by showing bank statements etc




    So sorry, if someone his age and who has paid in for as long as he has has to show entitlement to public money why should everyone else think they are exempt or complain about having to do so
  • p00hsticks
    p00hsticks Posts: 12,728 Forumite
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    dori2o wrote: »
    If you have nothing to hide you have nothing to fear.

    If the article is quoting correctly, it says that you risk losing your benefits unless you can prove that you are living alone.

    but how on earth are you expected to do that ? You could show that all the utility bills etc are in your name, but that doesn't necessarily prove that anyone else is not living there.

    The only possible way I can think of it to show a council tax bill indicating that you get a single person discount - but then, if you are lying To HMRC about being single for tax credits, you're probably lying to the council as well.
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