Tax Credits Random Enquiry

[thepalace1]

Hello, today I received a letter from HMRC regarding my and my partners Tax credit award.

 

The letter states that we have been randomly selected for an enquiry. HMRC are requesting :-

 

a) Details of any social security benefits received.

b) Evidence of child benefit entitlement including reference number (example, bank statement showing payments received)

 

c) Bank statements for the period 1 January 2015 to 31 March 2015 (This is very specific, not like a whole year or anything)

 

Now, Just to make you all aware, I HAVE NOTHING TO HIDE, and WILL be sending all the information to them.. however, my question is, Do the HMRC have a right to demand bank statements? Has this been passed in Law? what rights do we have regarding the request for bank statements?

 

Just for clarity, On the claim is myself, my partner and our three children aged between 4 and 11, we are in receipt of Tax Credits, Work Related Activity Group for ESA and child benefit.. We are both unemployed due to severe ill health.

 

 

Thanks in advance

[blondebubbles]

Don't know if the tax credit act lists specifics but it does say that they can request any information or documents that the board deems necessary for making their decision.

 

The claimant compliance manual used by them regularly mentions requesting bank statements.

 

Given the number of cases they have requested bank statements for in the past 12 years I don't imagine it's against any law for them to do so.

 

Asking for 3 months seems reasonable as that should give them a general picture of any income you may receive.

[ericsbrother]

They may well be doing this to placate parliament on the supposed number of fraudulent claims but the truth is they have NO records of payments made themselves, just payments that are supposed to be made and by asking for details they can then do an assessment of whether their system is working or not.

Years ago they claimed I had received an overpayment of some £8k when they had actually failed to pay anything at all. My MP got involved and they paid the backdated amount by giro cheques with a max payment of £100 per cheque so I got a large bundle of cheques. I didnt cash these as I wasnt sure they were getting things right adn lo they asked me to repay 38k overpayment the next year as well. I asked for proof of payment and pointed out there had been no encashment of the cheqies and they admitted they didnt try and trace payments or palance the books as far as payments claimed and issued, they just assumed that whatever they said had been paid was paid by bank transfer and coulnt even trace their own cheque numbers.

Basically they are asking for your help so they can do an audit but threaten you if you dont help them do their job..

[Colourful30]

Hello, today I received a letter from HMRC regarding my and my partners Tax credit award.

 

The letter states that we have been randomly selected for an enquiry. HMRC are requesting :-

 

a) Details of any social security benefits received.

b) Evidence of child benefit entitlement including reference number (example, bank statement showing payments received)

 

c) Bank statements for the period 1 January 2015 to 31 March 2015 (This is very specific, not like a whole year or anything)

 

Now, Just to make you all aware, I HAVE NOTHING TO HIDE, and WILL be sending all the information to them.. however, my question is, Do the HMRC have a right to demand bank statements? Has this been passed in Law? what rights do we have regarding the request for bank statements?

 

Just for clarity, On the claim is myself, my partner and our three children aged between 4 and 11, we are in receipt of Tax Credits, Work Related Activity Group for ESA and child benefit.. We are both unemployed due to severe ill health.

 

 

Thanks in advance

 

I think I've just received almost the same letter, but mine requires child's birth certificate, childcare information, children's savings accounts and copies of all bills.

 

As I had a change of circumstances during the year as my partner left me I am assuming they are just checking back up documentation to see if this complies.

 

It's always a worry but if you have not done anything wrong it should go fine.

[SheRose]

I have also received a letter from HMRC. I am worried sick about it. It says "there is someone else linked to my address". I have lived alone since June 2015 & even before that I only had a house mate, nothing else. No children or partners at all.

 

We had separate bedrooms & lived separate lives, but shared the bills. He had half the bills in his name & me the other half, as a fair split.

 

I feel worried to death about this "investigation" & feel guilty, despite having done nothing wrong at all.

 

I want to say to them, come over & check & it will be obvious it is just me here. It's not enough to be a single woman, now they want to investigate it too, like it's something so unusual. Maybe some women just live alone!!

 

Very P'd off.

 

S