Letter from Concentrix on behalf of HMRC regarding working tax credit (Self employed)

[PeppermintLatte]

Hi,

I'm not sure if I should be concerned and would really appreciate any advice?

I'm a single parent and I live with my Mother. I work 16 hours a week whilst my DD is in school. The rest of the school week I do voluntary work in the field I am hoping to eventually be able to get myself into (And then I won't need these bloody tax credits)

I received a letter last week saying they are acting on behalf of HMRC and they are doing random checks and I have been selected (not sure if this is true?) They want to know if i'm still self employed and if i'm still working 16 hours, which of course I am or I would have contacted them.

They have requested my UTR number, copies of any adverts placed, a letter outlining what I do for a living, a breakdown of my hours, a diary with any appointments in and also bank statements from April 2014 to November 2014.

I work 2 jobs, the first one is from home on the computer, I work 8 hours a week in this job and I am paid through my bank fortnighly. I'm not paid by the hour, I am paid for the work I complete in those 8 hours. It averages out to be about 140 every two weeks that goes into my bank account.

My second job is as a reflexologist, I also work 8 hours during school hours doing this. I have a small group of loyal clients, I am obviously not paid through the bank, not do I put my earnings through the bank as it's not worth it, it's not much money and I need it for petrol/food/clothes for DD etc. I do however, have my diary with all my appoitments in. I don't advertise so have no copies of adverts ( I advertised a few times last year, cost me a lot of money and I got no response - didn't keep copies of these adverts)

Do you think i'm going to be ok or wil they stop my tax credits? I'm so scared. I won't be able to live without this money. I was going to mention my voluntary work in the letter incase they wonder why i'm not working more than 16 hours, do you think this is wise?

Anyone else had one of these letters? Really worried as to why they would randomly selected me.

Public bodies do have the legal right to access credit files, to prevent fraud. It's been going for years BBC News item

Any evidence that the use of this data, without being checked for accuracy, needs to be reported to CAB, other lobby groups or your MP, so that they can lobby for change.

I am going to look this all up and find out . When I didn't pass the security questions they wouldn't speak to me any further and put the phone down !! Due to DATA PROTECTION !! However where is the Data Protection this end ???? As you say (above) this is very critical and they are going against the Data Protection they have set themselves ? Its beyond me and I need to take legal advise. (or we) - Itsgoingtoreindeer - its bloody impossible to prove hours - sometimes we all work 15 minutes over and that can occur 10 times per month !! work that out Concentrix!!!

Itsgoingtoreindeer what did they ask you for? I had to give bank statements for all bank accounts from April to Nov. Im also self employed & single & don't know how I can prove my hours. I take it they look to see if you're putting money in & all bills etc from business is going out. It can take up to 4 weeks.

itsgoingtoreindeer
They didn't give me any length of time to respond- I said I will send what they have asked for asap. I want to bottom this as soon as I can. I just cant believe what they are doing and why they are going about it the way they are? I wish I had kept a diary of when my Dad was so poorley and in Hospital, the hours I spent with him - and then the nights I slept at the Hospice comforting him - unable to eat properly let alone work ! This is not a sympathy note its real life and I was caring for my father and my mum who had been caring for my father for the last 17 years - and the amount of money we spent on car parking at the hospital before he went into the Hospice - I couldn't claim for that and it amounted to lots of money! Anyway - rant over - I will get what they want together and send it recorded and ask for a reply by return.

I'm glad that I am not the only one being targeted by Concentrix. I had a letter from them today saying that they had evidence that I am not living as a single person but claiming working tax credits as one.I am living with my 20 year old daughter who is a full time student with a job.I have had to send them a mass of information that cost £2.75 to post.What really annoys me is that since Laura turned 20 in May last year my income has plummeted by £150 a week and I'm now living below the poverty line.The threat of stopping the £50 which is all that I am now receiving is causing me a great deal of stress.

My girlfriend, a single mum(whom I do not live with) also received this letter which names her next door neighbour as the person she is living with. So I done a bit of digging on the internet about Synexx Concentrix - they were contracted by the HMRC in Nov 2014 for a 3 year contract worth 75mil and are run by USA based directors. There remit is to investigate wtc claims and have been giving weekly/monthly targets to achieve which is to catch fraudulent claims.
There first point of investigation seems to have targeted single parents with the same accusation of a co inhabiting partner. The information they are requesting should NOT BE SENT as this is against the data protect act - Concentrix are a private limited company !
So far I cant find any media reporting on this so I have contacted both The Guardian and the BBC in the hope they might follow up the story.

BoneYard66 - Just to add to your comment - Synnex-Concentrix UK Ltd who were awarded the £75 million contract have no assets and net worth of £22,000.Hmmmm... This contract is being paid for by the commission they get on numbers of letters and recovery of money by claimants. It is purely profit/target driven yet they have been delegated powers as if they were HMRC officers. This company is not undertaking the work. It is being sub-contracted to one or more of their other companies. Concentrix is not a company but a general trading name. Concentrix Corporation who ultimately own companies all over the world, are US based as you say.

Under Data Protection, my understanding is that, at minimum you are entitled to be satisfied that you know the requester's identity before you disclosure any information. In this case there is no company name or number so it is reasonable to ask who these people are before you send anything.

According to the contract they have delegated powers from HMRC which is considerable. This is the scary bit! However there are many questions in terms of legality and human/privacy rights...too much to add here. I find the secrecy surrounding this very disturbing. AND what is going on in the company after seeing the reports from employees - even worse.

I don't think that anyone should be naïve and assume that if 'you've done nothing wrong it will be all right'. They don't want to listen to anyone's tales of woe...they want your money! The company and the employees rely on it. Does anyone believe they have been contracted to care?

Good on you for speaking out and writing to the media....so have I. The more the better! I find it highly suspicious nothing has been reported already.

Suzy914 if people have done nothing wrong then they don't need to worry, how can they take money from you when you're entitled to it? You're causing unnecessary worry by that comment & there are genuine, honest people that are getting targeted. Like I said before it is routine they send out thousands at a time, as long as you've proof then you'll be fine.

My apologises to anyone if it causes unnecessary worry....it was more meant for caution and not meant to.

I do think however people are very worried in any case. Most are genuine, it appears, and are being targeted as you say... this was my point. (Genuine is not always black and white...there is a lot of grey)... So why? I do not agree that this is some sort of routine compliance check. The excessive amount of information requested, which has been pointed out time and again, and the false accusations are designed to instill fear and initiate a panicked response. This process has been passed to a profit driven 'undisclosed' company that has to meet targets. Everyone has to draw their own conclusions.

The more informed people are of their rights the better able they should be to deal with their own personal issue, at any stage, and hopefully be LESS worried.

This has appeared here before but in December last year SB's WTC was stopped as her ex-husband was on the occupancy agreement and they considered that her evidence was not sufficient. She took HMRC to appeal at the Upper Tribunal and won! (this was even before Concentrix were involved). She was genuine!...and didn't take it lying down. case-law.vlex.co.uk/vid/550346546

I think most people will be absolutely fine but life isn't always fair.
I am personally appalled at the amount of paperwork and sensitive information involved, most of which proves nothing. My personal view is that I have rights and have spent considerable time looking into this issue and, at minimum, will initiate queries before I pass one scrap to Concentrix - or what ever the actual company is....to do whatever with it?

Many people's first and foremost priority is their children to home and feed. It's very hard to fight back. The more information on groups like this the better. Again sorry...but I do not have your faith in everyone being treated in a fair and proper manner....and I certainly have no faith in the security of my information!

Brilliant post, Suzy.

I'm the OP & i'm still awaiting their decision, they have sent all the info back that I sent so i'm assuming they've taken photocopies & will work through it soon.

I tell you one thing, it's given me a kick up the backside, it's clear that my business may not ever hit NMW for the hours i'll eventually have to put in & I want out of this cycle, with Universal credit coming in I feel that I need a new business idea, one that will earn me enough to not need UC or tax credits. If I go & get a NMW job now then i'll still be in this cycle, at their mercy, I feel I can't do this anymore. The worry over UC is making me ill.

Does anyone know for definite how it works? If we are not making an acceptable profit are we forced to close down? Or do they let us continue, but assume we earn NMW for every hour worked & adjust UC payments accordingly?

I totally agree with everything you say, I'm also a victim, I had to send in 6 months bank statements for all bank accounts. I feel they are invading my privacy, they'll know everything. I've been waiting 3 weeks & still heard nothing. I know I have done nothing wrong but I do know if they think I've not given the correct information they will take it further & it is worrying. How is anyone meant to prove the hours they work.

It doesn't matter about security of information as from the 13th of this month benefit claimants financial, credit, debt and medical records are being shared with all agencies, companies and charities that the government see fit to share it with. Without our consent!
This whole thing with Concentrix may end up a whole waste of time as from April the minimum income floor applies. So if i don't lose my tax credits through this i will in April.
People should worry about this as genuine claimants are being pushed off tax credits.

Hoopla - the minimum income floor thing, does this mean we have to be earning NMW per hour worked, and if we don't we lost tax credits? Or does it mean they will assume we do & adjust our payments accordingly even if we don't?

The medical records thing - can HMRC see what Dr's i'm registered with & the address I use for it? Before ex & I separated I was obviously registered at the dr's that was local to us. I've now moved 5 miles away but haven't told the dr's as i'm very happy there and they are brilliant with my daughter. Will HMRC see this & take it as evidence that I live at ex's address? We also use ex's address for daughter's school.

Would anyone like a job as a HMRC Case Worker for Concentrix?
40 hours pw. Shifts Mon-Fri 6am-12 midnight/Sat–Sun 8am – 5pm.
£15,000 per year (minimum wage or close) - NO educational or professional qualifications required!!!
The AD - synnex.taleo.net/careersection/cnx+external/jobdetail.ftl?job=CNX00001971
Anyone want to be a 'Mole'...lol...It gets funnier by the minute!

...or for any of you high flyers.... Team Leader for HMRC - Same Hours £17,0000 - £20,000 . No Qualifications required. Training over 3 weeks (presumably that means the Caseworker get none) - synnex.taleo.net/careersection/cnx+external/jobdetail.ftl?job=CNX00003000