Help, I've screwed up with my child tax credits.

[Secondhandscars]

Needing some advice here.

My little one started receiving 15 free hours for childcare in September 2017. I however forgot to update my HMRC circumstances that my childcare costs had gone down per month.

The nursery never told me I had to declare it and it never said anything on my 15 free hours letter. So me being naive just assumed I didn't have to.

I know that is a naff excuse but any way..

I have only just realised all this now when I have recieved my renewal pack and child care compliance letter for proof that I am actually paying a registered child care provider.

I have been recieving overpayments for the last 9 months now.

Has anybody else been in this situation? What was the outcome?

I know I will have to pay back the over payments and possibly end up with a fine.

Will I have a criminal record after this?

I am literally beside myself with worry because of all this 😯

Well it’s really nothing to do with the nursery so you can’t blame them for not informing you when it’s your own responsibility as you claimed the benefit and received an award letter showing how your child care costs effected your entitled.

To answer your question you’ll just get an overpayment. It’s low level fraud so they won’t pursue you criminally.

Excuse me I wasn't blaming the nursery. I was merely explaining how I got to this situation.

Wind your neck back in please.

You may not get many responses now you've told the first pp to give you advice to wind their neck back in.

I have asked for advice. Not finger pointing. It wont exactly help my anxiety over all this.

I know my mistake and have owned up to it. I dont need people belittling me over my actions by accusing me of blaming the nursery. That is not what I was doing.

No. You wont have a criminal record

Call HMRC tomorrow and explain. They will set up a payment plan. For what it is worth, I think you were very rude to the previous poster. I understand that you are stressed but I was in two minds as to whether to bother to reply - I'm just a random on the internet but I doubt the HMRC adviser will be as helpful as they could be if they are spoken to like that

I apologise for snapping. Its been a stressful weekend with next to no sleep due to worry.

Just call HMRC and explain. They are always (in my experience) surprisingly nice if you tell them you’ve made a mistake and you need to put it right. I think they will probably set you up with a payment plan so you can pay back the overpayment or they may be able to adjust your tax moving forward so you can pay it back that way.

I don’t think it’s fraud if it’s honestly a mistake? Anyway, I doubt they would prosecute someone who has admitted their mistake and wants to pay back the money. Don’t worry OP.

The same thing happened to me a few years ago when the whole Concentrix thing was going on.

I sent everything off. Explained what had happened and was upfront about it. Apologised and updated HMRC with the correct amount.

They wrote back and said everything was OK and nothing needed to change. I know I was overpaid for a few months but they never asked for it back as far as I'm aware.

And no criminal record!