Tax credits say I owe them £8,000!

[Ohfuxx]

I've been sick all day.

I was a single mum on ESA due to poor health and last year my partner moved in.
On the day she moved in I called
My housing association
Housing Benefit
Child benefit
DWP

I am on ESA due to extreme anxiety and it took a lot out of me to make all these calls. I was so stressed.

My partner didn't work and was added to my ESA claim.

She moved out last month and I called Tax Credits as they sent a letter about her.

I called them and they said I never informed them she moved in

I was in tears

I never realised.

They said that my claim is now fraudulent and stopped it.

I got a letter today saying I owe them the whole 8k I received that tax year

But my partner didn't work a single hour in that time so when I go on HMRCs calculator it tells me that I was entitled to EXACTLY the same whether I was single or in a joint claim

So I haven't had a single penny more than I would have if I had declared her living with me.

I would have got the exact same amount.

Also I said how could I be defrauding them when I called EVERYONE else. Obviously I wasn't trying to hide the fact. I added her to my housing. To my DWP ESA claim. To everything

I don't know how I didn't even think of tax credits

It was in June last year so I can't remember at all

I am on medication and have memory issues so I really don't know how I could have done this

My partner moved out last month so I'm once again single. On ESA. Scraping to get by and facing £8k debt

I've been told I can appeal but I'm terrified

Has anyone experienced this

I'm not a benefit fraudster. I didn't get a single penny more by not declaring her here. It was just a massive fuk up:(

You'll need to ring Tax Credits on Monday. They say you never told them she had moved in yet they wrote to you about her? That seems contrary.

Wishing you good luck.

I’m confused too, how did HMRC know she was there then?

Flibberty she moved in June.

They wrote to me last month asking if she was living with me as they had information from other benefit offices saying so. I told them yes she's been here since June 2018. That's when they told me I never informed their department :(

I spoke to them and they told me to appeal

I'm just wondering if I have a leg to stand on considering it's clear that I wasn't concealing the fact she lived here, it was a genuine mistake and that I only received the money I would have been entitled to either way.

They record calls, tell them the date you inform them .your housing association may have a welfare advisor who could help.Good luck

Talking to welfare officer is a good idea too. I'm so sorry you've got this worry.

I think it's because she moved out in January so I may have informed department she had moved out along with informing DWP etc... But them they sent a letter asking about her because they didn't know she had moved in. If that makes sense?

Sorry if it's all garbled. I'm still in a state.

I just hope they can see it was an oversight.

If I didn't inform anyone I would understand but I informed everyone else back in June. I don't know how I could have missed them.

I think maybe I assumed Hmrc and DWP are the same and were connected so they would know

If I had been OVER paid I would have no issue repaying it.

But by HMRCs calculator online it says I would have still got that 8k over the year as my partner wasn't working.

It's the same amount down to the penny :(

I had something similar happen 2 years ago. Long story short was I had very suddenly and shockingly been diagnosed with a large brain tumour. I nearly died in the beat beside my partner of 14 years. I hit a massive low after my surgery and we separated for a number of months. I tried on 2 occasions to call them and tell them he was gone but both times I was on hold for ages and ages and had to hang up due to being at work and having to do a school run. Consequently I then forgot about it as I was in such a bad place. Eventually we got back together. When I went to renew, I told them we’d been apart and that’s when it all went to pot. I got a letter saying I owed them everything I’d got that year (despite the fact they admitted I would have got MORE had I have told them due to being on a low wage with 4 young children) I was so frustrated with myself for forgetting to get through to them and so cross with them so I decided to appeal. It took ages. I had to pull together all the paperwork showing about my illness, consequent memory issues due to the size and location of the tumour and my depression. They originally rejected my appeal as they said he should have contacted them (but he doesn’t deal with any household admin 🙄) so I then had to get all the paperwork proving he had PTSD and depression etc and a letter from my GP asking them to drop it. Eventually they did cancel the debt but it was a very lengthy process.

No one gets more frustrated with my poor memory then me and this caused me so much extra stress and anguish.

The case handler I had was extremely lovely and helpful.

I hope you get it sorted.

I can't sleep for worrying :(

Woah I'm so sorry you went through the same thing but Thankyou for posting as it gives me hope that I have a chance of fighting this xx

I sent my appeal of yesterday online but I just explained in the box what happened and attached screenshot of the Hmrc calculator to show I was still entitled to it with exDP there.

Now I'm worried I should have done more

.

You can't change was has already not been done. You can deal with it now - and you are doing, which is positive. Please don't beat yourself up over it.

Thankyou x

Just appeal. If they say you still owe, which it sounds like you don't, they will ask for it in instalments not all at once.

I will.

I just can't deal with 8k debt.

I have 6k from a broken marriage I struggle with already.

Ever since I got that letter I've been a state. I'm trying not to go to a bad place in my head

Ring them Monday and ask to speak to NES team. If asked why you need to speak to them advise them you are extremely anxious and need their help. Then ask them for a Notional Entitlement referral to be sent.

NES will help, I promise

Fontle I've just looked that up. Thankyou so much. It sounds like they may be able to help me work through this. Really appreciate that. I will ring Monday x

UPDATE

I was told to send off a mandatory reconsideration within 30 days which I did.

I then got a letter saying they couldn't look at it because the tax year hasn't been finalised yet.

I just called HMRC and a very unhelpful lady said NES probably wouldn't help as I'd just got their number from the net and hadn't been referred from anyone.

But they did see me.

They said a notional entitlement referral would have already been looked at.

But I didn't understand. Surely this is the situation that was made for

A mistake where I received no more money than entitled to if I hadn't have made that mistake?

Someone from NES is ri going me back.

This is so stressful

Not see me. Talked to me

Everyone who is claiming anything. NEVER rely on supplying jnformation to a council or a government department by phone, please back it in a letter and send by recorded delivery so it has to be signed for on receipt. This gives you evidence when excuses are made to dismiss your claims. If you hand paperwork into an office, ask for a receipt.

I'm going to from now on x

@fontleroy

Just wanted to say Thankyou so much for your response.

NES did help. The guy said I wasn't able to have the Notional Entitlement thing (can't remember why) but he said he had worked 2 weeks pushing it through to the complaints department and they have cancelled the debt completely.
. I just got a new letter through with my amended tax credits and they calculated it as a single claim for that period an Di owe nothing.

Thankyou so much.
. Without that message I would still owe it

fontleroy you are a hero .

Brilliant news OP, so nice to read through to the end and see a positive update.

Great news OP, well done