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Means Testing/Benefit/Savings
castle96
Posts: 3,060 Forumite
So.. you are applying for Pension Credit (or any other benefit). 'They'/DSS, whatever, ask for "bank statements" to confirm your answer that you have no savings, on their form. In fact you have say, £100k in ISA/bonds/whatever. Obviously these are not in your bank account. They could ask for a years worth of bank stats, and nothing relating to these investments would show. HOW can they/DO they, check 'elsewhere', ie it would be obvious if they checked with the IR that you have had considerable interest on which tax has been paid. Obviously it would be fraud, but you hear of people 'getting away with it'/by lieing. DO they make checks ??
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they do make checks, but it can be after the claim been in payment, they check with other dwp agencies and IR about tax etc, a few that I know of have been caught on the interest being paid on investments/savings and none on claims. working in PC, the most form of being "caught" seems to be review forms, the amounts having to be investigated is a lot and very time comsuing and a lot of "I don't see why I should have to tell you about it". But you have to remember that on the last page of every form is a declaration which you are stating that the facts supplied are true, and the excuses of "my family filled in the form and I just signed it" effectivly to me does not wash as you are signing to say the info is correct.0
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The DWP and HMRC share information and carry out data matching so people are likely to be caught out sooner or later.0
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Not only that but accredited Financial Investigators can view your accounts of any type if required.
I've posted on this before.
I wouldn't risk it. If you've got £100k in savings in any form then the fact that they are not in a 'bank account' is not the issue. It's the fact that you have failed to disclose their existence.0 -
they ask for details of any savings in any accounts when you apply,not to tell them exactly what you have(even stuffed under the bed)is fraud,you would be caught out at some point and charged with a criminal offence,and rightly so.0
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I have dealt with clients who have been caught lying about how much capital they have and they have been made to pay the full benefit entitlement back. They were lucky that they did not get prosecuted and worst case scenrio serving a prison sentence.0
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Its quite easy to for the DWP and HMRC to check up on someone.
For example I did a few mouse clicks and found you have an endowment with L&G worth £17227, an Axa product £14140 and have a large gap in class 2 NI.
If I can do all this with a few clicks, what can the government do with all their resources.
Good luck, your gonna need it.
Vader0 -
So.. you are applying for Pension Credit (or any other benefit). 'They'/DSS, whatever, ask for "bank statements" to confirm your answer that you have no savings, on their form. In fact you have say, £100k in ISA/bonds/whatever. Obviously these are not in your bank account. They could ask for a years worth of bank stats, and nothing relating to these investments would show. HOW can they/DO they, check 'elsewhere', ie it would be obvious if they checked with the IR that you have had considerable interest on which tax has been paid. Obviously it would be fraud, but you hear of people 'getting away with it'/by lieing. DO they make checks ??
Just quoting your post in case you decide to close.
Vader0 -
DWP do make checks and you may hear of people "getting away with it" but how many boast that they've been caught!!! because you would be surprised how many actually do.skintbint x
here's tae us, wha's like us - fell few and and they're a deid"
10k in 2010/£6988.30-69.88%@29/12/10, 11k in 2011/£897 07.04.11- fell by the wayside!!!
12k in 2012 - £204.00 @ 4/1/12
do not confuse me with the other skintbint who joined dec2011 - i am the original bint:rotfl:0 -
VADER123, The endowment and other insurances cannot be counted unless these mature. I am not very sure about any of this, but if the endowment is for a property then that money will go to pay for it and so on.
seb0 -
sebastianj wrote: »VADER123, The endowment and other insurances cannot be counted unless these mature. I am not very sure about any of this, but if the endowment is for a property then that money will go to pay for it and so on.
seb
<shrugs>
My point was that if some bozo like me can click the mouse a few times and find that, what can the government do.
Vader0
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