Tax credit fraud 😩😩

[Needhelp30]

I’m in a right state.

I live with my partner and 3 kids. The older two are from my previous abusive marriage.
I have claimed as a single parent. My defence is that I left an abusive marriage in tens of thousands of debt and have borderline personality disorder and can not be safe with money. The tax credits I was getting was for my debt and my older two children. I have a spending addicted and I can’t be trusted to pay bills etc so absolutely everything is in my partners name. The house is his.

He has no idea. He gives me an “allowance” once a month and he thinks I live on that. He will leave me if he finds out, Iv already had bailiffs to the house. My mental health has been awful the last few years and my psychiatrist is fully aware of my spending problem.

I stopped claiming tax credits last month as I started a part time job. I earn £300 a month.

I had a letter today saying that they have linked my partner to his house. They want a telephone interview next week but also all bills etc that are in my name. Nothing is. Literally nothing apart from my bank account.

I’m so scared. The letter has asked for details from March 2019 - July 2019. Why only these dates? !!!!!! do I say. If I admit everything surely they will look further back? I honestly feel like this is the cherry on the top and I’m not sure can survive much longer. I have so many debt collectors after me. Partner refuses to help as it’s technically ex’s debts.

I’m so nervous about the interview. I don’t want to go to prison. I don’t even want to go court. I’m so scared.

In this situation it really is a case of honesty is the best policy. You will just have to tell them everything and see what happens.
You may want to speak to a solicitor to see what they advise you to do, especially as it will probably be a large amount of money if its been going on for years.
Try not to panic, once you have spoken to them you will hopefully get an idea of what the next steps may be.

In these situations, even though speaking to them honestly seems like the worst thing in the world you could do, I guarantee that it is the absolute right thing to do.

If you postpone and stall any longer the demands for information will only get stronger and harder to ignore, and you could be 6 or 12 or 18 months down the line faced with dire consequences and wishing you’d just spoken to them at the start.

Come clean. Both with the interviewer and with your partner.

It’s relatively easy to proved benefit fraud and you don’t have a defence, you have an explanation, and, honestly, not a particularly good one.

Assuming this has been going on for several years you’ll almost certainly be prosecuted and end up with a community sentence.

Best thing to do is get it all over and down with.

How long have you been with your partner?

I’m confused you say your partner has no ideas and then further down says he refuses to help?

Honesty is the best policy. They will find out. If all the bills are in his name then it’s proof that he lives at your house.

Thank you, it’s been roughly 3 years.

But they have only asked for those dates and I’m unsure why?

I feel sick.

He refuses to help with my debts that I have. He doesn’t know about the tax credits.

I know it seems unthinkable but once you’ve told them the truth you will be free from that feeling of looking over your should all the time.

Have you spoken to stepchange or a similar debt management charity? They can put things in place for you to start paying the debt that will help to manage your creditors and stop the bailiffs and debt collectors coming to your door.

*shoulder

You need a solicitor - don't speak to them until you have had legal advice. This sounds like it could be quite significant fraud.

I have tried talking to then but I really don’t cope well with talking on the phone and Iv chicken out a few times.

I’m so scared of owning up, what do I even say? I’m so scared.

You say “I’ve committed a massive amount of fraud. I can’t pay it back, I accept that I’ll be prosecuted, I have no defence.” Fraud is fraud.

You just need to be honest. As pp has said you have no defence, just an explanation. Don't try to hide it or just provide the details for last year, you will honestly feel much better once you have come clean.

I don't understand what is that problem. Were you not entitled to the tax credits? Or had you not declared living with your partner or what?

@SorryImKnew

I don't understand what is that problem. Were you not entitled to the tax credits? Or had you not declared living with your partner or what?

Claiming as a single person whilst living with a partner.

Were you unemployed? Can you claim tax credits if unemployed? Sorry for the silly questions, but I don't understand the system here.

Oh thanks Todaythiscouldbe.

I think I'd probably ask a solicitor's advice too then. Sorry to hear this. But maybe it's not the end of the world. Have you an appointment with your psychiatrist soon where you could discuss this? I'm sure it's a massive worry adding to your mental health issues.

@Mippi

You need a solicitor - don't speak to them until you have had legal advice. This sounds like it could be quite significant fraud.

This this this!!

Don’t do anything until you’ve spoken to a solicitor.

I’m a regular poster but have NC for this.

Many years ago I thought I’d updated our housing benefit information as I’d sent a letter to the offices, I didn’t go in because my MH was really bad at the time.

Approx 2yrs later I received an invitation to an interview under caution and certain dates were given. Once I was interviewed it became clear that there was several blocks of dates that they were looking into.

Anyway, I attended and it turned out they hadn’t received my letter and the payments we were receiving were wrong.

I was completely honest with them right from the start, and I’m glad. They had a statement from DH’s employer with all of his earnings and information from our joint and personal bank accounts. All benefit information, everything.

I was told there and then that depending on amount they would look to prosecute, in the area I lived in anything over £2k was considered an automatic prosecution. I owed £2079.

They did prosecute me, I sought legal advise and even though I had posted the letter and gave all of the information surrounding this but I didn’t chase the fact I’d not received a new statement from them I was advised to plead guilty at magistrates court, which I did.

All of the statements I had given, and the fact I had been completely honest was taken into consideration and I was given a very lenient sentence and I repaid every single penny plus court costs and fines.

Now, I know this is a completely different benefit and I’m unsure what TC would do but I felt it may be beneficial to hear from somebody who has been through similar and came through the other side.

I would say please be as honest as possible both with TC and your DP.

To this day I make sure I have proof of everything there is absolutely no way I want to be in that situation again.

Get legal advice asap before you do anything. From a solicitor, not random people in the internet.

How much per week/ month have you been receiving? They will probably have looked at DVLA records and credit ratings at the address, are you both on the council tax bill and electoral register?

I agree you need to get some proper legal advice and also some debt advice.

Why claim it in the first place? If it's your DH's house, presumably you claimed after you moved in?

BPD and being bad with money isn't an excuse I'm afraid. You definitely need legal advice and depending on the amount, you may be looking at automatic prosecution.

How is OP going to afford a solicitor?

OP is your debt consolidated? I’d consider bankruptcy tbh/ as for the tax credits you have to speak with them.

I was claiming Bwfore I moved in because I was a single mum.

My partner will leave me. He trusted me with a credit card last year for emergencies and I maxed it out, he’s now paying it back.

I don't understand. Did you move in with your partner but not let them know or did you move in with him, let them know but said you were single?