Tax credit fraud help please

Question

hi, i recieved a letter today saying my tax credits are being investigated, i have been very honest with them as far as i know, but they have asked for bank statements and im claiming as a single person and i have a joint account with my ex partner as he got into alot of debt and had ccj etc so the only way he could have a bank account was with me, i dont mind, but now im worried that this will look bad on me or they wont believe me he does not live with me. all the other bills etc are in my name. if they think i have commited fraud does it carry a fprision sentance at all? has any one been in a simular situation.

Answer 1

you definitely won't go to prison unless you've got a record of defrauding them.  

Answer 2

It's not likely that you will go to prison unless you are convicted of tax evasion in the hundreds of thousands. Just explain that not all the income is yours. I know a guy that owed £10,000. He just had to pay it back over so many years.

Answer 3

You need proper professional support with this. go to your local CAB for free advice and support. You will not go to prison, but may have a massive over payment. you will have to show that the joint account was for convenience and as a favor and that you do not have any joint financial or living arrangements.  

Answer 4

dont worry about it, if he dosnt live with you then you have nothing to worry about, you wont be going to prison. tax credits have a horrible way of wording there letters. they have to physicaly prove you have commited fraud and if your details are correct and your ex dosnt live in the same house then they cant do anything about it.

Answer 5

They are not going to believe you - I don't think I do to be honest- You will probably have to pay back the money but will probably be in instalments and you may receive a caution.

If you are telling the truth then your partner will have bills at a different address and will probably be on the voters role at his address and his work should have his address as his home address etc you could always provide this as proof that he was not at the address - but a lot of people do this - 1 partner claims at 1 address and the other at another address so they get more money but actually they live together so don't know wether they'd accept this?

It was silly to have a joint account they can check into your post to see if bills arrive jointly and that what they have probably been doing so already no its in joint names thats why they're asking for it

Good luck x

Answer 6

Firstly YOU are doing your ex partner a favour by letting him bank with you get him to write a letter explaining what the situation is your in command of this request so if he refuses or gets funny about it close the account and let him fend for himself.

Secondly don't get stressed over the letter as has been said in a previous answer they are good at wording things to make them sound worse than they are if you have any real concerns seek advice from the Citizens Advice they are great at this sort of thing.  A good work friend of mine had a mix up with the tax credit agency about three years ago while he was on holiday over a 2 week period they creditted his account with a considerable amount of money which he freely admits he spent so he is now paying it back and the tax credit agency have calculated his payments to finish when his youngest reaches 18 he is 7 at the mo the total sum to pay back is the same as te amount they put into his account no interest so he looks at it as an intrest free loan.