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.

I don’t really have any friends to turn too I struggle opening upto people I really do,I’m what you would call a bit of a loaner....I feel so helpless

Ring citizens advice if you don't want to ring a solicitor. At the of the day fraud is fraud and you were always going to get found out eventually. They may just make you pay it back over many years.

@Help45 It's not clear whether you are the OP of the original thread. You may want to start a new thread, or seek immediate advice from NHS 111 if you are in mental distress.

I can try....

I’m totally aware of my mistakes and I knew I would get found out I understand it makes people angry but it was honestly a situation I got myself into and didn’t know how to get out god I wish I did I really do.

No I’m not the op of the original post

Who have you called for help? Citizens advice? Samartans? Debt helpline? Please call they'll put your mind at rest.

Best thing to do it admit you made a mistake or play dumb.

I was in a similar situation a few months ago, tax credits were chasing me because my abusive ex partner had told me a load of lies about his earnings whilst I was doing the tax credit claims (4 years ago, he left 3 years ago), turned out he lied about a job he had so we were not entitled to tax credits. When he lived here I paid all the bills, he told me he had no money so just paid me a small amount towards food. Tax credits eventually chased it up and because I have no contact to ex (I have an injunction against him) they decided to ask me for the full amount. The amount was £4700.

I had the phone interviews, I told the truth, I refused to pay back the full amount as I believed he should pay back at least half as it was a joint claim. Eventually the agreed to half it. I was then asked how much I could afford to pay each week and agreed to £5 a week. I am paying it back for the next god knows how many years but it’s just £5 a week and I can kind of forget about it now.

I think the best thing to do is hold your hands up, tell the truth and offer a set amount each week to pay it back.

@2020Namechange

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.

Great post 👏 👏 Well done for your courage in facing your difficulties and for putting it right.

@Help45 sorry you are feeling so low. It might be worth starting another thread so that people don’t confuse you with op and can help.
Do read through this thread though as op got really good advice.

Fraud is fraud, and the best thing you can do is be very honest right away and take the consequences. They will already have proof, it is just a question of what punishment you get now. That will be lighter if you confess. If you try to lie then you are screwed, it really is that simple.

Get advice, turn to us or cab. Consider legal advice and tell your doctor.

Just be honest and then they will take that into consideration.

Stealing is stealing but mitigating circumstances mean that the eventual outcome will be much lighter eg pay back at a £1 a week.

@2020Namechange

Brilliant advice and well done. That is what I imagine will happen. It's when people deny and continue that it gets worse. It is obvious that there are circumstances around fraud sometimes (simple error/MH/other things get in the way) but by taking the course of action you did it gets sorted.

Oh dear. Well, deep breath.
You’ve claimed you are single while living with a partner, so you have fraudulently claimed for 3 years. At each renewal you have failed to say you are with a partner and add his details, knowing that tax credits would be reduced or stopped because of this.

It will be very easy for HMRC to prove this, now that they have found out. Your only option is to come clean. It really is. You will only dig yourself in deeper if you don’t.

You also have to tell your partner as you don’t want him to be implicated in your fraud. You must do this, come what may. He may well end the relationship, but that’s besides the point now.

You have to stand up and take responsibility. You will get through it, but you must face it.

@WilsonMilson The original OP was sorted months ago, she’s fine. The thread was bumped by a new person with a similar problem.

This is basically a zombie thread.

I think you need some support and advice with this either from a solicitor that does work within the benefits system or agency that can advises benefits. I know people that had things like unpaid tax bills, bigger than yours, and they were able to get an accountant make arrangements to settle the outstanding about and weren’t prosecuted. It was incredibly stressful and made them quite ill though, so you need to get some support so you can survive this. The tax credits people want to stop fraud and overpayments, not have people ending it all. That’s too a high a price for you to ‘pay’ for this mistake and won’t help you or your family move forward.

@SendMeHome I just realised, thank you. Just came up as an active thread so read the op and commented.

[quote SendMeHome]@WilsonMilson The original OP was sorted months ago, she’s fine. The thread was bumped by a new person with a similar problem.

This is basically a zombie thread.[/quote]
Or she might be back.

Or someone else with similar difficulties.

You say you’ve done nothing wrong but also that you’ve been incredibly stupid

Your first step needs to be absolutely honest. With yourself. Then you can deal with it

ZOMBIE THREAD thanks

Just came up as an active thread so read the op and commented.

Why? Why do people do this? It's so disrespectful.

Sorry I’m new to all of this and thought this was the best way to reach out to people..I didn’t mean to be disrespectful honestly.....I’m going off my head with worry I’m hear myself and have lots going round in my head...I’m sorry