Tax credit check letter

[Jellybeans24]

Hi I recently got a letter about my tax credits saying they are checking my claim and they want information from April 2019 to July 2019 Basically they have asked if me kids dad is living at my property and they named him on the letter he doesn’t live with me but sometimes sleeps over we had our 2nd child together last year we just don’t get on when we live together hence why we live apart

I pay all my bills etc so everything is in my name but he does get letters sent to my address as his mam opens his letters when they go to hers even thought she shouldn’t. But I’ve got all my proof that he doesn’t live he but I’m only worried because they have asked for bank statements but we always transfer each other money he does give me money for the kids but he isn’t the best with money so he gives me money to keep for him then I put it in my savers and transfer it back to him when he needs it.

Do I tell hmrc all this and will they understand or will they stop my tax credits?

"...there are two types of tax credits claims – Joint and Single.

The Act then goes on, in Section 3(5), to explain what a ‘couple’ is:

(a) a man and woman who are married to each other and are neither –

i. separated under a court order, nor

ii. separated in circumstances in which the separation is likely to be permanent,

(b) a man and woman who are not married to each other but are living together as husband and wife,

(c) two people of the same sex who are civil partners of each other and are neither –

i. separated under a court order, nor

ii. separated in circumstances in which the separation is likely to be permanent, or

(d) two people of the same sex who are not civil partners of each other but are living together as if they were civil partners."

The OP isn't living with her partner. She cannot have a joint claim.

@pencilsinspace your last post would be a valid point if the ops partner was a new boyfriend. He's the father of both her children who's she's in a relationship with! They clearly "live part" to fiddle the system

I had this letter. I had to provide evidence of divorce plus my genuinely ex husband had to provide proof of his bills at his house. I also had to provide my bank statements.

The op has two children with him. It’s not like she’s taking it slowly.

OP says he stays over a couple of nights a month. That is taking it slowly, regardless of whether they have children together or not. Regardless of whether they eventually move back in together or not, or completely split up, or decide that this level of togetherness is what suits them both in the long term.

She doesn't want to live with him because they don't get on when they live together. Do you think she should be made to live with him anyway or do you think she should be made to stop shagging him? Or maybe she should just not be entitled to any benefits because she sometimes sleeps with someone she does not want to live with?

Do you think government agencies should have a right to interfere with everyone's sex life to this extent, or just single parents who claim benefits?

He's the father of both her children who's she's in a relationship with!

It makes no difference whatsoever. Tax credits don't care whether he's the children's father or not. CMS care about that, tax credits just care whether you are living with a partner or not.

I feel like I have been spirited back to victorian times on this thread!

@PencilsInSpace I think if your in a Relationship with the father of your children he should be contributing to their upbringing and supporting them not playing the system so you can claim you're a single parent when you're clearly not.

They clearly "live part" to fiddle the system

This is a really nasty accusation for which you have no evidence.

OP states that they live apart because they don't get on well when they live together.

In situations like this, the non resident parent should be paying CM and it should be deducted from benefits. Why should people be able to claim benefits in this situation, it's totally different to a genuine lone parent situation.

@cliffsofabandon OP says her children's father is contributing to their upbringing - he is paying child maintenance. This has no bearing on OP's tax credit claim which she is entitled to make as a single parent. Because she is a single parent. Otherwise he would not be paying any maintenance, would he?

Babyroobs that was the situation in the 90's when the CSA (precursor to the CMS) was invented. If a lone mother did not name her children's father her benefits were sanctioned. Her benefits were then calculated as if she was receiving the legally required level of child maintenance regardless of whether she actually was or not, regardless of whether it was reliably paid or not.

The upshot was that loads of women and children were placed in danger from their abusive ex's and an even bigger load of women were left with just child benefit to support themselves and their children because their ex's failed to pay.

So they abandoned that idea.

You are very naive OP. There are so many couples who do exactly like you. They've worked out thanks to the media that if you have your partner moving out and tick all the right boxes, you can pretend that you are not together any longer and claim extra benefits. Funilly enough, the partner always happen to go back and live with mum and dad, or sofa surfing, hence having minimum or no bills to pay. Funilly enough, they rarely pay official maintenance. The DWP are wising up to this because it is so easy isn't it? After all, why shouldn't every couple do this, live their lives as a couple, but just have all bills transferred to a parent house, clothes, and stuff and spend a couple of night there only, and bingo, you get £100s extra per months, virtue of those silly tax payers who are not clever enough to do the same.

I won't go into details but my neighbour did exactly the same as you. It went on for about 4 years, but in the end, she got done and has to repay all her benefits. Funilly enough, the moment she got done, he moved back in for good!

He doesn’t live with me for a reasons I’d nuch rather live alone and him spend the odd night every now and then, than constantly be together and screaming and shouting at each other for the kids to hear it? So what is better for the kids parents that get along or parents that don’t and they have to witness every row?

And I can tell you now I don’t get £100s extra per month, it is very low what I get weekly. But it does help when I get paid monthly from my job. I literally get back what I pay in tax a month.

And I won’t get done for nothing because I’m not doing nothing wrong. I don’t pretend we arnt together and I told hmrc that we are but we live apart for certain reasons. And they said that is fine but if he was ever to move back in I have to let them know ASAP which I would.

But I do what’s best for my kids so they have a happy home and not one where their Mam and dad don’t get along.

@Jellybeans24

But you can only afford to live like this because other tax payers support your choice.

If you get what you pay in tax back each month, then you aren’t contributing are you?

Don’t forget, others are also paying for you and your children’s NHS treatment and education, as you aren’t paying any tax.

Well I do pay tax so I am. Some months I pay more in tax when I do overtime. Which I do a lot of.

So i Contribute trust me.

The OP can't change the rules to fit her circumstances. Tax Credits (HMRC) are very clear about what constitutes a joint claim and you cannot have a joint claim if you aren't living together. It's the rules.

Whether the OP is separated from her partner by choice or through breakdown of their relationship, the result is the same. Any maintenance money that he pays her is not included in the calculation for Tax Credits.

My partner works away for weeks at a time. He owns a property which he rents to a family member; so when he's home he stays at mine. He's on electoral roll and his own property, and all post goes there. It has been like that for 8 years. As soon as he started staying here, I went on both the council tax page and the tax credit page. Both clearly state that if other people would consider you as a couple, and if the partner stayed here overnight, then you were not entitled to single parent benefits. So, I contacted them straight away and that was that.

So in your instance, I'd say you're not entitled to claim. In my instance, my partner is not my child's father. He does not contribute to their childcare costs, although he does contribute to all the other household bills as we are a couple. So in both our cases, were not entitled to anything.

Tax credits can access your social media (and probably already have) so if they see anything which suggests you're a couple, it could trigger the investigation. I believe though in most instances, investigations are instigated due to someone giving them a tip off.

As you had a second child with him last year you obviously are in a relationship with your partner, regardless of the fact that some of his post goes elsewhere. The fact that money is transferred between you also shows this. You need to consider very carefully what you have told the relevant authorities in the past, in writing or on the phone, because on the face of it you could be prosecuted for fraud.

So i Contribute trust me.

If your earnings entitle you to tax credits you are barely contributing to the costs of you and your children (NHS/school never mind everything else). That’s just fact.

That you get most of the tax you pay back means you’re covering maybe 0.0001% of it.

@adviceneededon your situation and the OP situation are entirely different. Mostly because your OH can't live in the house he is registered at because someone else is living there and paying for the privilege. He can't prove he has a permanent other home, just yours.

In the case of the OP, she lives in one place and her partner has rent and bills ( and is registered for electoral purposes) at another abode.

Clearly, very different circumstances.

I'm genuinely shocked at the tone of some of the keyboard warriors on here.

Where is our compassion? Why the need for such cruel judgement? We are all here doing our very best and our priority should be kindness to each other, not condemnation.

I think, and I sincerely hope, you were misadvised on the phone and things will change when they investigate further. It's clear you are in a relationship and playing the system. He transfers money to you 'to look after' and you transfer back the exact same amount-why not let his mum look after it?
This kind of thing irritates me beyond belief and is the reason genuine people struggle.

In the case of the OP, she lives in one place and her partner has rent and bills ( and is registered for electoral purposes) at another abode.

Read it again. She doesn’t know what/if he pays rent or bills and important mail goes to her address. Day to day mail will override electoral roll.

@45andfine my partner could technically prove he lived elsewhere. Nothing at all comes here in his name. He could well say he stays with his family member when he does come home, which is for 3 nights every 6-8 weeks, sometimes slightly longer. The fact is I've been honest with them that he stays here. There's also someone else on the thread saying their partner only stays a few nights a week, they are a couple, but don't live together. I could easily do this. But the advice from tax credits was that as we are a couple, and everyone else sees us as a couple, I'm entitled to nothing. So I don't see how we're different at all - other than op gets benefits and I don't. I do believe the system is very confusing.

But I do what’s best for my kids so they have a happy home and not one where their Mam and dad don’t get along
How convenient that doing what's best for your children is also what brings extra money.

You know you can live as a couple, supporting each other, but separately. You don't have to claim (and indeed, you shouldn't).

You trying to justify claiming benefits fraudulently is not really making you show up in a better light.

It’s not convenient at all.
I would rather us live together but I know from the past it doesn’t work but it works the way we do it.

I’d much rather my children grow up happy than messed up cos of hearing arguing all the time.

I’m not trying to justify anything the only help I get is tax credits and I also pay full council tax because my wage allows me to I don’t get the single person discount for that.

And for I know we can live as a couple I know for a fact we can’t. Trust me if we lived together I’d be more financially better off than doing it this way but I do what works for us.

Grow up, stop arguing and stop scamming the system.

You don’t sound mature enough to have children.