Anyone ever had a letter from Tax Credits asking for proof that they are single? I'm really worried!

[BornToFolk]

I had a letter from Tax Credits yesterday saying that my award as a single person had been selected for a review and asking for all kinds of proof that my ex partner no longers lives here.

It's got me really scared! As background, we had a joint claim since DS was born but the year before exP left our combined income was too high for tax credits. Then he left and I started up a new claim as a single person from the day he left so I can kind of see how it might look dodgy (ie. just as we were about to lose our Tax Credits, I suddenly became single. That's how it happened though)

I've got a mortgage in my sole name, transferred all bank accounts into my name only and all utilities are in my sole name.

However, there are a couple of things that concern me. Firstly, even though I told our water company to change the account into my name, they've left exP on as the addresee. So the bills come addressed to Mr Born's ExP but then underneath it says "account name: Ms BornToFolk". We've also still got a joint life insurance policy that we intend to keep up until DS is 18 so that if something should happen to either one of us, he'll be covered.

Will that count against me?! I'm not sure if I've just been randomly selected for review or if there is some reason (ie. one of the above) why they are looking at my claim.

And do they really need everything on that list? It's literally all bills, bank account statements...everything for last financial year. I'm worried that although exP left in May 12 it got a while for the mortgage and other stuff to get sorted so it might look as though he was still here. Also he stayed with his parents for a few months so was not paying rent elsewhere, although he is now. I'm also kind of hoping that he's got a current joint Tax Credits claim with his new GF.

Sorry for the ramble! It's just really got me freaked out and the helpline is not available until tomorrow. I do have good solid evidence that we split up (solicitors letters and agreement, the fact that all utilities are in my name) but I dread the thought of having to pay anything back, or having my income reduced.

Has anyone got any experience of this? Or can at least hold my hand until tomorrow?!

I have no experience of having to provide proof but just wanted to say that in the absolute worst case scenario that you do have to pay some money back, they are actually really good at taking it in installments. I got into a right state after Ex left - he'd given completely the wrong salary figures for a number of years (deliberately) and we had a joint arrears to pay back. They split liability 50/50. I've paid mine back over 2 years and they are currently trying to recover his changing his Tax code.

My exs name is still on the mortgage here because he refuses to budge on sorting any financial issues.

Hopefully you'll get it sorted easily.

I got a letter saying my claim was being reviewed and it was only a couple of months after he moved out so his name was still on everything. I got copies of the few bills I'd managed to change into my name and I wrote them a letter explaining that things hadn't been sorted yet because of the short time frame and detailing the reason for the split and where he'd moved to and when. I also included information about removing him from the electoral roll when I last filled a form in and where he should now be registered.

They accepted it and my claim was unaffected but I did include in the letter that I would send them anything they required and they were free to visit if necessary.

Good luck, I'm sure you'll be fine

I had this last year, and it panicked me too. But, all you need to do is provide them what they ask for, and they'll contact you with maybe some questions about what you send in. If needs be, your ex might well be contacted for confirmation of where he lives now etc. so if you have an address and contact number, it would be worth adding that into your paperwork to send to them. If you don't, and if you are in the throws of divorce, paperwork with confirmation might also help i.e. you don't have his current address but here's his solicitor etc. If you do provide your ex's details, just let him know, and why it's needed, in case they call him up and he has no clue what they are talking about.

Mine worked out fine. I agree a covering letter explaining everything from your POV is helpful as it spells it out and lets them figure things out from your paperwork a lot easier too.

Thanks for the replies, they have helped calm me down a bit.

I've spoken to exP and warned him that they may contact him and he says he's happy to provide proof of his address if needed.

I totally forgot about the electoral register! I can't remember when he was taken off it, probably when I got the card through the door but that's great evidence that he no longer lives here so thanks for the reminder.

For those that did provide evidence, did you give everything on the list? I'm only asking as it seems so much and not all of it will be relevant (i.e they ask for credit card statements and I've always had a credit card in my name only so it doesn't prove anything. Also, I'm not sure why they'd need to see a whole year's worth of bank statement? I was thinking of just sending a statement with our joint names, then one for the same account in my name to show that it had been changed.

I'll give them a ring tomorrow to check but I'm not so panicked tonight so thanks again!

Mine was more to do with evidence of childcare used, and I didn't have all my receipts so got a letter from them confirming what I'd paid, when and how much, and they accepted. I did send in lots of bank statements as they showed my direct debits to my other child care provider.

I know it seems a bit overkill but unfortunately the type of fraud they deal with means they need to check this all out. No reflection on you, just the sort of thing they have to deal with.

I had one too but they were happy with the electoral register. The problem I had was that they asked me to ring them before a certain date but I couldn't get through to the stupid number, they stopped my credits (as guilty till proven innocent obviously) but backdated them all once I got through to speak to someone. Don't worry it's just a routine check I think!

I got one scary experience.I phoned up and spoke to a nice bloke explained that I was single and sent in evidence.Acouple of bills I think and that was an end to it.Ive had to be really strict with ex though he was still getting bills and car stuff sent here Basically I told him if I was done and child are payments stopped because of his laziness then he could pay the child care by himself hopefully it's sorted now.

Ring the officer the letter is from on the 03000 number. I had a letter last week about childcare costs and I wet myself panicking. I rang the bloke and bless him he was v nice and told me to calm down a send in my bank statements with the payments highlighted and that would be ok. I mostly panicked be ause the list of required docs was bloody vague and didn't specify it was for last year. Sigh

I've had the childcare payments check for the last 2yrs, but both times it was correct.

The man was really nice on the phone when I explained I might not have every invoice for 12 months and the fees fluctuated between term time and school hols. It was basically one big pile of invoices and the odd bank statement, it was returned to me really quickly.

I need to sort out the invoices in case they want to check 12/13.

I phoned them today and spoke to a very helpful woman. She said that I don't have to send everything on the list but that I should send everything that might help to prove my case. But also that as long as I can show that the mortgage and council tax are in my sole name and that the joint account transferred to me, I should be fine.

She also said that the reason that I am being investigated is that exP applied for insurance in the past couple of months using my address. Not sure if he did it on purpose or not but I am still pretty pissed off with him (for a change!)

So, added to me list of things to do is a proper "notice of disassociation" for all the credit agencies to stop this kind of thing happening again. Grrr.

I have had both cases, once they contacted me about not being single, they rang me and went through a few questions and that was it. Apparently thd name of a lodger who we had 15 years earlier was still assiciated to my address some way.

The next time it was about childcare, I provided everything that tgey asked for (childcare invoices) and that was it. Apparently I had miscalculated the yearly costs for childcare by a tenner, they took it out from the next payment and that was it. But before they did I couldn't sleep with so much stress!

hey, I had this, don't worry, I just called up and explained the situation and the guy said not to worry that it appeared that my ex had been living there (he had been trying to get credit to the house! bad!)
Anyway once I explained it was all fine, the letters can be scary can't they even if you haven't done anything wrong!