A letter from Concentrix oh behalf of HM REVENUE

[Howes68]

Hello please help if you can , I am worried sick , I got a letter from the above , the letter states We need to talk to you about whether you are living with a partner , I claim tax credit as a single person , they are saying that they have evidence that there may be another ault living with me , I do have a bf whom stays 3 days a week , they wish me to call , and are asking in the letter for Bills, tent from 06 April 2014 to Jan 2015 , scared they are going to horrible on the phone not sure what to make if it , feel sick , any tips or help would be great thank you

youwantsome - Many stories here are from single people, many self employed. Quite different to yours it appears. You don't seem to have read or understood the posts properly....or want to....

In most cases mentioned it is an 'Accusation'. The use of the word 'may' is used legally all the time to avoid being prosecuted just in case information is wrong. This accusation is designed to scare and panic people into to providing the volumes of information requested and ignore their rights (not just a few payslips). Most of the details they want know were never requested at the time of application (your short list doesn't even resemble anything like what they want). A lot is irrelevant and would prove nothing.

Perhaps you wouldn't be upset if your husband had been tragically killed (and HMRC new about it) and then he was named in your letter and you were asked to prove he wasn't living with you by producing a year's worth of bank statements, mortgage documents, credit cards statements, utility bills, etc, etc, etc the list goes on......Or the person you has to seek out their abusive husband who has not seen his children in year's in order to get evidence from him of where he is living.
Why are people being asked for evidence of child maintenance payments when it doesn't count towards Tax credits?...and why should anyone, just because their address has been associated with another name, who could be a neighbour, be asked for this level of information? There are much simpler, reasonable and more cost effective ways of resolving these queries and which would be less distressing.

No-one is questioning the right to check the entitlement to benefits...it is public money....This is not what has been said at all.

Yes this is an Invasion of Privacy and its purpose is questionable, as is the company undertaking the work. You can ask HMRC is they are legit and they will say yes....ask them a few more probing questions, even to their management - they haven't got a clue.

Your analogy with the builder is not even worth going into as it is nothing at all like this situation.
You seem to be saying that everyone commenting here is actually guilty and living the person named or unnamed in the letter, by your last statement. Most people here haven't "changed what they originally told them without informing them". To use your words - I'm 'damn sure' I have the right to query it!

People join forums, to share, get support and advice and expect some respect as all are individuals with different needs. Others need to get their Saturday night kicks...

I accept your analogy if things have changed; what if the builder quotes £250 does the work as promised and bills for £250. However the householder now doesn't want to pay this as their circumstances have altered so they inspect the work done and try to find fault. They demand the builder shows them not only the invoices for this work but also every job done in the last year, they want to check who's done the work with them and they refuse to pay until all this is done. The householder even asks a friend, who had no involvement in the original agreement and knows nothing about building, to get involved and promise them a percentage of any saving for helping out.

I do agree youwantsome has a point and it is totaly correct what she is saying BUT this "standard " letter that they have sent to all single parents was worded so wrong . It was like accusation . As previously mentioned before most of my letter was mentioning "penalties " , "overpayments" "tax credits stopped " God knows how many times . . These words should be mentioned if you are found guilty. If they can actually prove that you are living with an adult ! But certainly not the "first " letter issued out . I'm pretty sure everyone here who has had this letter from concentrix is actually innocent and that is why we are expressing our anger and thoughts and getting support from one another . We are angry at this threatening letter . So we come here to talk .if me myself did actually have an adult living with me, I would not be on mums net discussing all this I'd be facing up to my responsibilities myself.

youwantsome is NOT totally correct in what she is saying.

Bank statements and utility bills generally DON'T prove the thing Concentrix seem to be investigating, viz, is the tax credit recipient in a relationship.

They also contain considerable quantities of information irrelevant to what the Concentrix is investigating, ie full details of your daily transactions and contacts.

And if youwantsome really does give out this level of information about herself on MN, as she suggests, then she needs a serious lesson in internet safety.

My understanding of the legal position (which may be wrong and I'm happy to be corrected by one who knows), is as follows:

HMRC can legally gain access to some of your personal records directly from the bank or phone company, if they go through the correct procedures and the investigation is proportionate to the evidence. This process is audited and accountable.

HMRC has outsourced claim-checking to a private company. Depending how the law is written, this private company may or may not have the legal right as HMRC's agent to access your records directly.

Whichever, the private company is not accessing people's records directly, but instead is approaching thousands of people with a threatening letter demanding a huge range of very personal records, on "evidence" which would not pass the threshold required for HMRC to access the information.

So HMRC have outsourced something they have properly regulated legal powers to do in an appropriate manner, to a company behaving like a dodgy debt collector which is intimidating and harassing large numbers of innocent people in the hope of getting a hit.

I am so glad i am not alone in this! I got the letter the other week. I share a house with a friend. I told them this when i moved in here, and had to prove it all again last year when they decided i had claimed fraudulently and now have to do it all again! And worse still, they have stopped the working tax credit as i now don't work enough hours. I feel like i have been personally targeted and after i have jumped through all their hoops and been made to feel like a total idiot when phoning to tell them about changes to my circumstances. I appreciate that benefit fraud is a big deal, but do they need to word their letters so threateningly, and do they actually look at your records? When i changed jobs recently, I spent 20 minutes waiting for my call to be answered, at least another 10 answering moronic questions, only for the guy to realise, at the last minute, that i was no longer eligible for the credit. He asked for things like my employee number and when i said i didn't know it, he replied that he didn't need it - so why ask? I am really angry about this and would be sorely tempted to ignore it, if it wasn't my good name in question!

Hello everyone, I split from my ex 5 year ago and moved into another property with our 2 children. No other adult has ever lived in this house with us. Two weeks ago our youngest was poorly and the ex spent quite abit time here. We've decided to give it another go. He's took two days off work (12th and 13th of this month to move in)
My problem being is a I received a letter from concentrix last week stating another adult may live at this address. So firstly he's never stayed over (we had a heated relationship probably the first 4 years and the last year getting on better) so when I received the letter I panicked because as well as my ex my father is here most days seeing the kids etc. I rang concentrix straight away and stated no one has ever lived here with us but that as of the 12th a partner will be moving in (I can see how this looks) I have been honest and sent bank statements, bills, everything they've asked for that I had. Then I tried to ring tax credits to notify them of my upcoming change in circumstances (I am awaiting his final year p60 thing which is why I hadn't notified them before plus you can do it on the actual day or within a month of it happening I am sure?) and tax credits said because it's with concentrix they were unable to change anything on the system? So now I am worried sick that they think we've been living as a couple all this time (not true)
Now I wish I'd just not said anything but I'm honest and as we had a date he was moving in thought it better to mention it. Needless to say I've had sleepless nights and I'm worried sick even though I've done nothing wrong. What do I do on the 12th if tax credits won't change my circumstances? Can anyone shed some light into this?

Girlygirl2 , try not to worry . Partners do move in together, it just so happens to be at this moment however it may seem. The best thing you can do is write them a letter explaining this. Also send in proof of your ex address. E,g bank statement , council tax /utility Bill etc. This way it can prove he hasn't been staying with you all this time . You are being as honest as possible to them . Nothing else .

Hi everyone,I received a letter yesterday telling me HMRC had evidence that another adult was living at the same address as me and asking me to ring them. I do live with another adult but we are not in a relationship,he is actually gay so it's not really an option lol. I don't pay rent but do pay my share of utility bills and my council tax,I get a receipt for this too. I had the same thing happen in 2010 and had to write to them explaining my circumstances. They replied to my letter thanking me for my co operation and I heard nothing since then until yesterday. The letter that came yesterday says if I don't ring them i have to send bank statements which I have and utility bill statements which I don't have. All very worrying I know I'm not doing anything wrong but feel very unhappy and stressed.

youwantsome Did you read the posts from self-employed people who were being asked to send off details about clients? That is a breech of the DPA, and classed as a pretty serious offence. Concentrix are effectively coercing people into breaking the law with the threat of financial penalties if they don't comply.

Or the posts about self-employed people being asked to send 10 years worth of accounts? Even HMRC only stipulate that you keep them for five years.

And FWIW, no bank statements don't prove or disprove a person's relationship status. My account has my name on it, it doesn't say Saskia Rembrandt who lives with Mr Rembrandt. Ditto, my utility and phone bills. He has his own stuff and I'm sure I'm not mentioned on that either.

Girlygirl2 - You are right, once you have received a letter from Concentrix, HMRC cannot/will not change you circumstances. They point you to Concentrix (The gov.uk stills says to ring HMRC). It appears that Concentrix does any adjustments now.
Have you actually clearly told Concentrix you are ending your claim to Tax Credits? If not, and that is what you are doing, my advice would be to make sure that is understood. They will adjust you account. Don't say more than is absolutely necessary, as it looks like excuses. What they or anyone else thinks is irrelevant, and frankly no-one's business.
Once you have ended your claim you are only looking at the potential of overpayments.
Concentrix will be rubbing their hands as they have met a target by you ending a claim. The need to send wads of paperwork lessens. Personally I would not have sent so much as all they need is something that said you lived here and he lived there. As you have already done this, and I presume there is nothing massively incriminating in there, I would not worry. What they believe is also irrelevant - it's what they can prove.
Deal with Concentrix in an assertive manner. Their frontline staff know less than you. They can't record what you don't say. Know your rights....Access Requests, Raising a concern, Complaints procedures, previous legal cases, they don't want to deal with all that. A lot of information is on the two threads on this forum.
It goes against the grain for me to say deal with them but I like most people want it to go away first and foremost. Then your experience can help others....

It looks they are just falsely accusing single mums to get all information. Is it legal? Because if another adult lives in your property is not necessary to be your partner. Then if I send my bank statements, it is not proofing that I am not dating anyone. Then I can be single mum, because I was not lucky with father of my child, but I can still date someone else or even more then one guy, I can date two guys and sometimes ask those guys for financial help, should I ask them to make a join claim for three of us then?

Actually, I´ve called them and asked the name of my imaginary boyfriend, but they told due to data protection act they can´t tell me the name. I told that it is very kind from them to protect my data from me, because I think I should to know the name of partner that they prescribed for me. And then I´ve asked them and what if someone is using my address and trying to kill me? They told that they ensure me that it is not the case. I asked them how they know that is not the case, because they have evidence that I have a partner, however I don´t have such evidence, now I am confuse. End of story.
But I still need to send all those reams of papers. Honestly, they make me feel as a stupid cow that have to listen and do what ever they told. And all this just because I live in an overpriced country and they help me with £50 a week, what I practically spend to take my child to school, because in my circumstances school a bit fare away, but in exchange of £50 per week they take my dignity and my privacy.

Good morning everyone,I've just rang the number on my letter and explained my situation,the guy I spoke to said I can live in the same house as another adult who isn't my partner however I have to prove I'm financially independent,I told him I pay towards the utility bills(not in my name) my own council tax,food toiletries and clothes. All I have as proof is receipts I get every time I pay,will this be enough I said,the answer was send the receipts in and the case will be accessed,however if this isn't enough proof they will stop my tax credits in April and I will have to pay money back,now worried sick as I'm telling the truth he said there's no point sending bank statements as I have no payments going to the person who's house I live in. Oh and if they stop my payments I can appeal but the situation will be exactly the same the only proof of payment I have is the receipts I get,any advice please

You have every right to request this information and Submit an Access Request but it needs to be with HMRC as they are the Data Controllers and legally responsible for the information.
It would be a very interesting exercise to see if one of the 'unnamed' persons, mentioned in these letters, actually did appear in the data they hold. If not it proves that grasping at straws and breaching a range of Data Protection laws themselves.

Another weekend worried sick about this.Have visions of them putting me in prison and my son being left alone as his father is next to useless.If they stop my money will have to go begging to a man who put me through years of mental abuse for maintenance for son to be able to live.Then to top it all CSA want everybody to sort their own mantinance payments out or pay them to do it.Happy days!!

Good luck with that Morgan I'm in the same situation and awaiting their decision.Will post the outcome.

Thank you pepsi123,not sure if the receipts I have will be enough but they're all I've got,and once they've received them it then takes another two weeks to make a decision so will be worrying for three weeks at least. They did this 3 years ago so I sent a covering letter and receipts,got receipts back and heard nothing else till now.

Hi everyone. I recieved a letter from this disgusting company a few weeks back. I called and told them that my son's father lived at my house over the Christmas holidays to spend time with his son. We are not a couple. He sees his son as much as he can and on school holidays he comes and stays over with his son to spend as much time as poss with him. As work commitments make it difficult. Anyway when I told this idiot at Concentrix this he went away to speak to a manger and came bk to say yes yoU need to make a joint claim. I don't known how the whole system works so I accepted this and was told to still send in all the evidence they require to prove I live alone. It wasnt until I spoke to family members and read up on single and joint claims that I realised that I should not Be making a joint claim. So I called back and said that I don't think I should me making joint claim as I support myself and my sOn on My own own. I pay my own rent and all household Bills Bills. I was told that there shouldn't be a problem them. However on the sat my tax credits never went into my account I called back and was told that I said I lived with a partner and my single claim had stopped. I was absolutely fuming!!!! Anyway I asked the idiot exactly what his notes said as theres no way I said I was living with partneR as I don't bloody have a partner!! Went quiet for A min and theN he said eh no your son's father. So not only have they stopped my claim they lied saying I Said I lived with partner!! I called last week to ask of they received my documents but no they haven't of course! As Theres a backlog!! I told them i am in a terrible situation and need this sorted ASAP but they're no help atall. I'm.now waiting to hear back from theM so I can call hmrc to explain this ridiculous mess and hopefully they will let me make my single claim again. I am currently in €200 rent arrears. Can't afford to pay my debt management or council tax and owe family.members a total of £120 so far. I cannot explain what this is doing to me me.

Yep bar22222 you have to sell your soul to get a tiny bit of help.I work three jobs 7-9 morning 11.50-1.30 lunchtimes and 4.30 -8.30 evenings.Wonder why I bother sometimes could give it all up and become a carrer for my son who has anxiety and mental health problems and just stay at home.Would probably get less hassle but actually like working and the self esstem it gives me.

charlie4556, I would make an appointment to see your MP. I've found that my MP, at least, is good at sorting things out quickly. Concentrix won't want an MP on their backs. It's certainly worth a try...