Tax credit confirmation of payment

[childminder54]

This is the second request from parents from tax credit wanting confirmation of payments for april2011-april2012. Is this new as this is the first time they are asking for the full year. Both work shifts and pay different amount each week. Don't say I've got to write 52 weeks of what the have payed is there a better way. And has anybody else had to do this.

[sarah707]

I've had to do it for 2 of my parents for the full year.

I wrote a letter for one with a list of what they had paid each month. The other had saved invoices and used those.

They also wanted originals of the contract which didn't make me feel very comfortable but I copied them first.

Hth :D

[childminder54]

Thats what they have asked me. This must be new how they are going about it.

[Smiley]

In the last few weeks I've also had a parent ask me to write a letter confirming hours fees etc and a copy of contract. She needed to send them all off otherwise they said she would risk not receiving any payment

[carol cameron]

I have had a similar request from one of my parents this week. I printed out another copy of last years contract, we both signed it and hey presto an original contract ! I didn't want to send off my original contract and mum had lost hers so seemed a sensible alternative.
I have also provided a letter stating amounts paid to me last year too.

It seems like they are doing more checks on claimants now- good !:)

[~Grasshopper~]

ive been asked for the same thing this am. i just got my accounts out and wrote a letter confirming the date she started and that its before/ after school and part time holiday care. Then i have listed the weekly date and amounts as its diff depending on hours needed in holidays and she has only been here since sept11 so not too bad. i've then wrote about my price increase that starts next week and have photocopied my contract, it says original contract if available and mum has lost hers so no she isn't sending my only copy.

xx

[jumping j]

I had the same thing too, had to ring the office to verbally confirm, parent sent off reciepts but then they needed a letter confirming and the contract, I also took a copy, just in case.
Yet we had a rep. for the tax office say they shouldn't be asking for this much information!

[onceinabluemoon]

I've had the same thing for one of my parents too. At last they are checking up, about time!!

[Carol M]

Seems they are checking claims at last!
I know of parents and childminders :eek: who are defrauding the benefit system. It's about time the Gov does something.
I have had one parent ask for confirmation of payments this year. I issue receipts for all payments (NCMA ones) but mum had lost them!
Carol xx

[loocyloo]

i've had 2 mums ask if its usual for tax credits to ask for copies of contracts/invoices etc. funnily enough, BOTH of them rang whilst i was doing a review with another one of my mums, who had also had a letter to check her claim.

wondering how long it will be before we hear that £xxxxxxxxx was paid out in fraudelent claims!

[chicky20]

just got back from hols to 3 messages from parents telling me they have a letter from Tax credits, all different dates requesting details of payments and contracts, one parents is from jan to april this year , one full year last year and one for 5 month. I did get a bit concerned that I had done something wrong (but all my accounts have been correct for last 4 years of trading) till I read this, I have 6 parents on my books all part time but only these 3 have it. I know my books are fine but still its a worry when you get so many, Thank you to you all for making me feel a lot less worried.

[Erika]

They have various teams set up at the moment to reduce tax credit fraud.

The last time they asked for an original contract off me, I refused to send it to them. That's a legal document and the only document that would stand up if ever there was a dispute; I told them I would happily take it to a local inland revenue office for the purpose of it being verified but there was no way I was sending them the only legal document I have for the agreement via the postal system. The reason I was so stubborn was because they had lost documents I'd sent to them on a previous occasion, those documents could not be replaced, they too were originals. There are plenty of ways of confirming that a contract is in existance without them needing me to post the original to them.

I am very glad though that they are performing more robust checks. The problem is that HMRC have the most power yet use the least amount of force when they discover a fraudulent claim - usually the outcome is paying the money back and that's it. Sometimes there is an added financial penalty on top but it is very rare that they prosecute - even with high overpayments from fraudulent claims. Prosecution tends to be reserved for more serious (organised) offences. I think if they started prosecuting more, it would send clearer messages. People don't bother because they often know that they are not going to have a criminal record if they overclaim on tax credit.

[Mouse]

It's good that they're now doing so many checks on claims, but I do wonder how they're going to be able to cope with all the extra work. They have always seemed to struggle with their normal work load, never mind all the increased work. I can see lots of contracts & letters getting lost.