A letter from HMRC or concentrix part 8

[Morgani97]

Have you received a letter from HMRC or Concentrix? This is part 8 now. Have you had the dreaded letter demandeing evidence you live alone? Hopefully we can support each other and try and make sense of it all.

Well after not sending my bank statements last week, I've posted them today. I shouldn't have to do this, but I do rely on my tax credits and don't want to risk them being stopped whilst it's investigated. I have a child with a disability who I need to drive 1 hour to school each day (and back again), so need to be able to keep my car etc. I wrote a covering letter explaining my ex paid extra maintenance sometimes to cover the time he didn't pay anything. Also explained the small payments of a few pounds where because he was buying apps for our son's iPad but the money comes from my bank. It's all there on my statements,they can see iTunes being paid for the amounts sent and everything. I've genuinely got nothing to hide so just going to have to do as they ask and hope they can see for themselves. I was concerned about them judging how I spend my money, but that's not for them to dictate.

The concentrix contract is available online. Effectively HMRC have delegated their own powers to Concentrix - so they can do everything HMRC do in terms of investigating a claim and making a decision/deciding a mandatory reconsideration. That includes home visits, although this is very rare.

Although the compliance manual doesn't refer to concentrix - they use it the same as HMRC staff.

Cleo

User can I just ask, are you working and do u get housing benefit? Just I know people on these definitely get visits but I've never heard of someone getting one just for tax credits. I'm sending mine off tomorrow hope I get a quick reply back. I just want to cancel my claim and be done with it but don't want to do it before so they think I have claimed wrongly and then make me pay the money back. It's really not worth the hassle.

Hi kk88, do you mean people working tend to get the home visits? I work and get wtc and ctc But if they done a home visit on me 9/10 i would be at work but I wouldn't be happy with them just calling round.

Thanks for link Maryelizabeth71...I found another interesting extract from the contract award at www.delta-esourcing.com/delta/viewNotice.html?noticeId=97910033:

"CONTRACT VALUE: The price paid for the services will be based on commission on the losses prevented; which are estimated to be between £55 million to £75 million. The exact commission is confidential commercial information that could prejudice the commercial interests of the successful Supplier and therefore we will not be disclosing it.".

So it looks like Synnex-Concentrix UK Limited contract works on commission...the more money they recover for HMRC, the better their bottom line...so why won't they go that very extra mile, even if it means acting in a non-compliant manner to what HMRC expects them to. In fact, I bet that many of Concentrix's employees are on 'performance-based' pay contracts, driving them to act like bounty hunters.

Yes 97532, the fact it is results based doesnt exactly guarantee good service to the end user does it!!

Thats why imo it's so important for people to make themselves aware of their rights and of the appeal / reconsideration process.

Assuming an individual has been honest about their situation they should have nothing to fear and should be prepared to stand up for themselves. Sometimes easier said than done I know, especially as some claimants are in vunerable situations.

www.gov.uk/government/collections/tax-credits-hmrc-manuals

If you can be bothered, this makes for informative reading, including Hmrc powers of investigation and checking of claims

Wow23 no I meant people not working. I know a friend had a visit from child tax credits as she was getting income support for herself and tax credits for the children and she had a visit. But I didn't think they did visits for people claiming work tax credits? That's why I was asking user if she was working?

I know my working hours are long too, I work full time. This is all so stressful, I'm convinced their going to say I'm not single due to the fact I have the use of my ex car. But I pay for it all myself and have sent documents to prove it that I pay for everything myself. I can't be done with having interviews and so called visits for a couple thousand I'd rather not have it. Soon as this is dealt with and i have a dicision I'm cancelling my claim. It's complete intimidating and bulling tactics!

Loulabelle - I'm really worried now that you had such a quick turn around , I'm still waiting for my stuff to come back

Kk88 No I'm not working. I think it's luck if the draw who they pick on and I'm one of them.

User I don't know if it's a good or bad thing that it only took 6 days to have paperwork back but I could be waiting a long time for my decision letter. Also I think because I live in Northern Ireland I am certainly going to get a visit not that I'm worried about that but my ex does call here about 3 evenings a week after work to see our daughter and put her to bed and then leaves. Even though we have no relationship we spent 6 years having ivf treatment to have her and I couldn't stop visits as they would both be devastated. Also I don't work so stopping my tax credit would mean other benefits stopping and being investigated also. As soon as my little one starts school in September I intend to start back to work as this crap is so not worth it. Just don't know what I will do to live until then if they stop my claim.

I think there is an assumption that because we are single parents father's should be absent. Because I don't get on with my ex doesn't mean I'm going to stop him seeing our child. When I spoke to concentrix on the phone the bloke was surprised I get maintenance without csa being involved. My letter was strongly worded in kinda my child sees her father every day sue me if you want... I had childcare check 2 year ago also with no change. Still didn't get my documents back tho ...
To those worried about spending on the account.. they are not allowed to tell you how to manage your finances ... I go Starbucks nearly every day, buy from Amazon and they didn't say a word. Only explained some transactions between me and my ex ( part from maintenance) I.e his contribution to new furniture for our child and that's it.. don't let them intimidate you.. good luck

I also told them I have all transactions via bank transfer because I have nothing to hide and want them recorded . (Between me and ex that is) they could argue with that. ..

I had a childcare check last year, a year after I stopped claiming for childcare the year before when dd started full-time at school.

Also had a check that I was really single - accused of being in a relationship with my own brother! Once I said on the phone that he was my brother they dropped it immediately. Couldn't they just have checked NI numbers or something?! He wasn't even living here, just using the address for post as he was living on a boat with no mailbox.

Fink me in same boat ! Had letter asking for bank statements ! Rang them asked and said who do you think me in relationship with and they gave me my brother name! But told me I need to prove he my brother !

I was worried about them judging how I spend my money, transactions for McDonald's, Amazon, Paypal (for eBay) etc. But I decided sending my statements at least shows I get maintenance, it comes up as being from ex and he also puts the reference as "maintenance for name", so that should also help show them we're not together as he wouldn't be paying maintenance. I was just concerned because there's extra payments throughout the months. Not so much now but a few months ago. I did explain though he used to get paid weekly so paid me weekly, but now gets paid monthly so pays me monthly. The extra payments where for when he wasn't working and not paying and because he was buying stuff for our son. Hopefully it's all ok.

maryelizabeth71, why would you cancel your claim, if you had nothing to hide?

Hi all
A lot of people from earlier in this thread sometimes seem to fade away and we don't get to hear anymore updates or outcomes. Would love to hear from people on how things turned out. I also appreciate how distressing and upsetting this whole business is so maybe once they receive their decision they never want to hear the word Concentric again.

Sorry Concentrix

Shazzarooney999 cause it's not worth the hassle for the money we get. I get very little a week now as my income has increase as I have a better job. I don't trust the fact that hmrc won't send me another letter next year to say I have to supply this year's details. I also don't trust them to make the right decision that I am in fact single and they'll then try to make me pay back thousands to them. I also don't want to have to explain my situation to them or send my personal bank statements for someone to go through. How do I know that person has been train right and is good at their job. We already know they don't get paid unless they recover money from people so their staff with 100% be targeted on recovering X amount of money!

I don't want to be made to feel guilty and prove that I am not! And I also don't want to have anyone come to my door either!

I feel like just cause I'm not at war with my ex and we have a good agreement they will infant say I'm guilty! To then have to argue and fight to prove I'm not and have interviews under caution! Is utterly stupid. These people wrongly say people aren't single and make mistakes everyday the Internet is full of it. That is why people are stressed and would rather not have another penny off them.

Even cancelling your claim can be a nightmare. The whole system is a joke

I cancelled my claim simply because receiving the letter, the way it was worded made me feel like I'd done something wrong when I hadn't. The stress it caused me and the potential invasive nature of their checks made me feel I would rather manage without. (And the amounts I would receive for me, not worth feeling like that)

I would rather work a bit more and cut back a bit than to open myself up to having to send off sensitive and personal information.

However, as I said, that is not an option for everyone ...... And those people should stand up for themselves.

The only bills i have in my name is sky, netflix and home phone, gas and electric are prepay cards i got from landlord when i moved in, tenancy agreement is in my name also. Any advice or should i just tell them this? My ex has never even stood in this house never mind opened anything on credit.
Going through my statements will clearly show i do all my shopping, pay for my car, diesel etc. I was thinking of maybe switching gas and electric supplier as the new cards will then be registered to me and not the old ones the landlord simply gave me.
Any advice?

Maryelizabeth just because u come off tax credits doesn't mean the hmrc won't audit you for a year of their choosing. Happened to someone I know, got an audit notice out the blue and six months later that person was still having problems with them.

Hi ladies,I started this thread in January as I was investigated by HMRC had my money stopped for 16 weeks finally got it sorted. Thought I'd pop on here and am disgusted this is still happening. If everything else fails please go n see your MP they have to help you. If anyone needs any advice please feel free to pm me. I can't promise miracles bout I will try and help. Good luck everyone x

Morgan, do you mind if I ask what it was that made them stop your payments? Went back to the start of the thread but couldn't see anything. That's the stage I'm worried about, I know I'm not doing anything wrong and will appeal, but not sure how I'd manage without the payment each week if they stop it. The only thing they have is my Virgin media account being in ex's name, it was opened 2 years ago when still with ex. We split up last June and I've kept the account as I can't get any other internet in my area yet so I pay the virgin account. Ex refused to sign account over to me at the time and Virgin wouldn't let me open a new account! I had an email from Virgin saying I can't open an account as there was already one at the address, so I sent this to Concentrix too.