Feel suicidal. Losing everything because of the HMRC.

[hatethehmrc]

The HMRC have decided that as I didn't tell them about my new job in July, I owe them over £5000 and they will not be paying me again until April.

Every day, they tell me something different regarding whether the fact that I'm going to be in severe hardship will make a difference. Today, the answer is no.

I'm a young single parent, I work, I'm in my final year of a degree. My living costs (rent/ Nursery bills) are high - £1800pm just for them. My tax credits equal £1100pm. Without this money, me and my 2yo will be homeless, I won't be able to go to work (I owe last months Nursery payment of £600 due to this). I won't be able to finish my last term of university and graduate, which I have worked so bloody hard for.

They say the appeal will take up to 44 weeks. I begged them to just listen to the phone call in July and this would all get sorted out - every day, the answer to whether they have this phone call logged changes. Even on the days when they do, they say the note just says that I renewed my tax credits and that's it. I beg them to please take the 5 minutes to listen to the entire call, then all of this mess will be sorted out. They refuse. My MP tried to help but couldn't get too far.

Now the clincher: I got the awards notice from them today saying I would be paid £647 as a final payment between now and April. I've just phoned them up and they say that that is a mistake that has now been corrected. I ask for a new letter saying that I won't get paid anything, so can try and receive some childcare help through student finance or my university. They say no, they won't do that, as their calculations are based on me paying childcare for the rest of the year with no help. But there's no way I could do this!

I'm going to lose my home. I'm going to lose my job. I'm going to have to drop out of university. All in the next week or two.

Three years ago I escaped from an extremely abusive and violent relationship whilst pregnant. I was 21, homeless and jobless and had nothing. I've built me and my daughter a lovely life, and now it's all going to be taken it away from us through no fault of my own.

I can't cope. I can't stop crying. I've exhausted every avenue. What do I do?

Have you contacted your MP?
If not, do it now.

I would go directly to the Citizens Advice Bureau and take their advice.

I would then call The Samaritans and let out some of your stress there.

I am sorry you are having such a stressful time. I am sure there must be a way through for someone well-intentioned and hardworking like you. Wishing you the stamina and strength to see it through.

Perhaps there is a local credit union who could help or advise you. I think they are often run by churches but I don´t believe you have to be a member of the church.

Tax credits are notoriously difficult to navigate.
You need proper advice from someone who specialises in this. A Welfare Rights Officer, a specialist at the CAB or, yes, your MP.
Please don't do anything daft. There will be a way through this. You just need to get the right help.

Hi OP, I am sorry to hear you are going through this. Did you tell them about the job, as this isn't clear from your post?

The OP said quite clearly that she'd contacted her MP.

Could your university financial service or student welfare service help?

OP states in her post that her mp couldn't do anything

Citizens Advice
Tax Aid ?
Does your uni have an advice service?
So sorry to hear this really hope you can get it resolved quickly.

Go to student services, honestly they will be your best bet. You can also legally request that every phone call that you have made to the HMRC be copied onto a disk for you, along with ALL other data that they hold for you for a payment of £10. Tell them that you will be seeking legal advice, find your calls on your phone bills etc to prove that you have been in contact and then seek a solicitor. They will very likley take your case on once you have that disk with the proof on it in your hands.

That is awful, I am sorry you're going through this, other than speaking to CAB or perhaps your local council regarding housing. I have no suggestions, just didn't want to read and run.

Ring them and press the option for the overpayment section. They are much better at knowing what's what with your claim if they say you owe them! Ask them to go through your claim with you PAGE BY PAGE. My claim was buggared up as they had dh working ft when he had been made redundant 2 years before - they admitted often they just read the first page - the page on their screen - and don't click through each page!

Hello, you need to stop talking to them by phone as they have been known to be aggressive and dishonest in their verbal advice in the past always in their favour. It would probably pay to employ a CA to advise and preferably do the work for you (CAs do a lot more of this sort of thing than you would imagine) whether there is the cash there to afford to pay them to start with is another question.

The university will definitely be able to help you out. They have a fund that is designed to help people exactly in you ur position.

Phone them today.

Also, get in touch with your student union rep. There will be a student welfare person at your university.

Have you contacted your MP?
If not, do it now.

I have. I thought at first he was loads of help (even started a thread about it ); they told him my payments would get put back on until a decision was made, which would have been really helpful. But before that happened, the decision was made, and it was the one not to pay me any money. I've kept in touch with him and he's phoned them a few times but he's just said to go down the appeals route. And apply for the hardship fund online as it's quicker- but they've blocked me from doing this online for 6 months as I've been under investigation? Bloody nonsensical. The woman said it takes at least 2 weeks to come in the post. Then however long to assess it, and decide if I'm even eligible. Which every other day somebody is telling me I'm definitely not. Though sometimes they say I am. I am trying so hard not to shout and scream on the phone as I know it's nobody individual's fault. But I'm just devastated and heartbroken and so so scared.

Also, call the benefits people and make a claim for income support. Explain this mess to them and then you may be elligible for housing benefit but you may need to drop to part time ( or you may not, im not sure)

Hi lovely, sorry your going through all this...I know all too well what a nightmare the HMRC can be. You need to put in an appeal and also contact the overpayments dept to see if you can cut your repayments to a manageable amount. You'll need to fill in income/expenditures form online. With regards to an appeal, I believe there's an option called a mandatory reconsideration but I think there's a short window of time on it but please don't quote me on that. I'm not sure which you need to do first but it's all on their website. Its worth a try.
Hope you manage to sort something out.
Is there anyway you could move your 2yo to a nursery with some funded hours to save some money?

Sorry, I missed the bit about your MP. That is very poor.

Do you have anyone in rl that you can talk to who might be able to help you? This situation looks pretty crap and I really feel for you. Anyone who can help you out until April? Maybe your university can offer some childcare provision, or your new job? At least something temporary until your tax credits resume

Make a data subject access request (specifically request a copy of the phone call in July). There are details of how to go about it on the Information Commissioners website, including template letters.

I have found that HMRC are slightly more reasonable if you write to them and keep copies.
But it is time consuming I know.

You haven't confirmed as to whether you told them about your job? Did You?

Does your uni have a hardship fund you could apply to?
Hopefully you'd have a good case as it would be insane not to graduate given all the work you have done. Look into if you can defer your last part of uni in any way and do it later.
Write to LEA or SAAS to see if there are any bursaries for single parents or any other awards or scholarships you could be eligible for, even a small award could help.
Find out from the council of they have a discretionary loan fund for housing or social purposes.
I'm so sorry this has happened to you, it is totally unfair.

Could you take everything to a lawyer to look over.
The first visit is usually free and then you may get legal aid.
They may have some advice for you.

Please you have come so far. Your little one needs you. I nearly took my life 1 year ago but I didn't. I look back now and I am so thankful I didn't.
You will get out of this dark period. Just give yourself time. I am thinking of you.

We had an ongoing dispute with them for about 5 years. Would suggest you write to them rather than keep ringing. They are required to respond within a certain timeframe.