As crazy as it seems, if you have no proof of anything if they are to ask, honesty is the best policy. They threw 3k worth of debt my way and then decided to quiz about the previous year too which was £7k as it was a full years worth, just be upfront and off load they will hear you out, they will only make you pay it back at what you can afford as I’m on maternity I offered them £15 maximum, it’s an absolute joke to be honest and I think they picked us up due to newborns as I added my little boy onto my child benefit which every family gets... I feel so angry as I lived without my partner hence the single claim. Is there much debt to pay on your letter? X

Oh bless you, I at the time just had a newborn too he was born in June when it all started, they never mentioned any penalties but I have received a letter in November about what to do to go down the tribunal route but had nothing since so not sure if that’s it done or what, I’m just not going to ring or promt anything, no matter what I told them they were having none of it, is yours about money for child care but they haven’t been going? It’s such a worry isn’t it I can’t explain the stress it’s caused me. I just had nothing else to give them the minimal I did they weren’t interested and never changed their decision x

Hi, as I could only provide my partners doctors address to show him living at another address this was not enough. I battled it out back and fourth and they said because down on paper he's at the adddress then that’s it I’ve no leg to stand on! Now paying £10k back over 17 years as can only afford £15 a month...it’s a joke their word against mine, had I known he had to change his address to prevent this I would of got him to do so. He sees the children regularly so always handed over his mail there and then and remained civil about it! Fuming with the outcome I now have debt for something innocent that I was entitled to claim!

Hi. No they aren’t taking it any further they’ve said because my partner (Ex at the time) never changed any of his addresses except his doctors, that I do not have enough proof to prove my single claim which is ridiculous! It’s now costing me £10.5k in debt for this silly little mistake of not changing his address, but he would visit my daughter several times a week and collect his mail so never seen the issue?!

I requested my sar a while back for the same reason there telling me I owe £10k! Still not receivers my sar form though?

SAR submitted this morning

His now been moved into the house with us since end of June when we had our second baby, we’re now making a go of things and trying to form family life since the arrival of the new norm so he is my partner, but ex previously of last year and the first half of this

Thank you everyone, I deffo am worrying it’s effecting day to day life (daft I know) but this 7.5k debt is hanging over me i have never been in debt before and can just about live off my wage been only parting (currently on maternity leave) I will follow all steps above and get the ball rolling for this, as for proof of another address this is a tough one as just his doctors is addressed there still, which he has had appointments there when not living at my property, otherwise his always stayed at mainly a family friends and gave him cash rent, so again no proof of him living there and not here. It will just show as cash transaction each month, my partner has no clue about any of this and how it works as it was me needing to do the single claim having the kids live here. He wouldn’t allow me to take the mortgage on or bills as he knew I would struggle money wise so he insisted on keeping the payments up for me as a way of providing for his young family (the children not me)

We genuinely were not living together should we of been the tax credits would not of been required I am fully against people claiming these when they are not entitled to! It’s a pet hate of mine so would never cheat this way too, can they take me to court if I appealed their current decision or is that a choice only I make if I appeal their second/ final decision they send out? It’s ridiculous how they can be doing this but most of his info is addressed to here! With him coming to visit the children he always just collected it hence why he never bothered to change his address, how do I get hold of an sar form? As you can tell I’m so new to all this!

Thanks so much for that I will take the advise above and go from there calling them in the morning, I just can’t accept their decision at all it’s crazy especially with no explanation at all, if they discuss a payment plan I won’t go into details how I’m going to repay it, as I personally should not have to as my claim was legit and all info I stated was correct it’s madness they can just chuck that kind of debt to me. If it does come to me having to pay it back and I lose a fighting battle I will literally be able to pay like £20 a month so it could take years, thanks again and will post the outcome of my call tomorrow

By high it’s 28k standard however he does standbys which can make his annual salary increase to around £34k

Brilliant thank you, his income is quite high so I think it may rule them all out of been restarted. I just don’t want them to question me to prove he didn’t live here from apr18/ to apr 19 as I cannot without them coming to physically be in the house and see his not here! So frustrating all because his stuff is all addressed here and he pays for stuff bills wise etc as he chose to do this to support the kids instead of csa etc. Hope I get someone half decent Monday morning and knows what’s what! I honestly don’t know where to begin with it all the letter is a dark cloud over me at the moment, will keep this posted come Monday thanks again

By confirming new situation do you mean relationship wise or maternity leave? Any advice you have is much appreciated I definitely need to make the call. They aren’t really backing themselves up I just don’t know how I can continue ro claim since my children’s father moved back in June this year to make a go of things when I. Had our second baby on the 11th of the month

And that my tax credits would be stopped

No nothing really to say that more so just focusing on my over payment figure and breakdown as I was basically making a single claim that i wasn’t entitled to based on the info they had I shouldn’t of had a single claim