Parent using my Ofsted number for tax credits?

[MintChocChip147]

I am a childminder and had a lady who lives opposite me, practically begging me to look after her child. At the time I hadn't got space but I told her I would contact her when the space came up.
3 months later I had a vacancy for 2 days a week which she was thrilled about.
Strange thing was, she does weekend work and her husband looks after the little boy on a weekend when she works so she wasn't actually working in the day when I was looking after her little boy. That's absolutely fine by me, she uses the time to catch up on her housework or whatever, which is none of my business.
One of the first things she asked me for was my Ofsted number for the working tax credits.
The little boy had been coming for about a month and then all of a sudden over the last 8 weeks she has given any excuse not to send him and she hasn't paid me either.
Makes me wonder if she is just pocketing the money she receives for help with her childcare?
I have absolutely no evidence of this at all and after getting fed up of not getting paid and keeping a place open when she wasn't sending him etc, I told her I no longer had space for him as one of the other children wanted to increase their hours, which is true.
Do I need to contact anyone to tell them I no longer look after this child? Would the money she gets to help her with childcare just keep going into her account?

You don't need to inform anyone and if she is claiming its not your responsibility anyway.

If you really wanted to you could inform the tax credits fraud people but she may not even be claiming. Make sure you chase up the money though.

'phone the tax credits people. Remember, you're subsidising her fraud out of your taxes ( if that's what she's doing) really annoys me.
Don't know thee number offhand but just ring tax people and they'll put you in touch.
personally, I'd also drop round a formal end of contract termination letter and state you will be informing tax credits of when you last cared for her dc. I say it's my policy to always inform them .Should give her a couple of sleepless nights; but if she's done nothing wrong won't bother her in the slightest.

I was in a similar situation and contacted SCMA for advice. They told me there was nothing I could do without breaching confidentiality! They said as long as I could evidence there was no receipt on money on my part this would not affect me! Ie, no money coming into bank, Seems so unfair but I had little choice

well I'm not sure if tax credits are different in Scotland, but in England I've 'phoned a few times to inform themm a parent has left and they've always said they'll amend the tax credits. In fact, I've been 'phoned 3 times by them asking if a parent is using my care and how much they pay ( and once I'd never had the child at all or received a penny and they were claiming for a full time baby place and a after school place; about £200 a week, cheeky effers)

The SCMA must have miss informed me! I have never once been phoned by them! Pretty sure tax credits are the same in Scotland as England!

I was told, when I worked in the benefits section of our LA, that HMRC cross reference the tax credits claimed against your declared self employment income as a child minder.

Def worth a quick ring so you don't end up in trouble.