no of nights visitor can stay without benefits being affected??

the_devil_made_me_do_it

singlehouseholder wrote:

you'd be surprised!!!

Yes I'd be very surprised I gotta say.

I know people who have freinds staying with them when they visit on holiday. They don't contribute to the household, except they may buy their own food. This shouldn't be classed as a form of co-habiting, so how do benefits deceide who's living and contributing to the household, and freinds who are staying on holiday because it's cheaper than using hotels??

singlehouseholder

I'm not looking to get into a huge debate here, you can search this site and come up with numerous threads with "hypothetical " questions and queries regarding people in the position where they "hypothetically" have a partner moving in to contribute, how will this affect benefit- blah, blah, blah- My friend had a bloke in the army, he lived away and paid ALL the bills and her spends,he even transferred her cash if she wanted a new outfit or a night out!! Wish I could find a bloke like that, best of both worlds......As for having pals to stay as its cheaper than using hotels, or family over to visit, come on, thats totally different to having someone stay on a frequent, weekly basis.......I know I wouldnt be having some-one staying at my house for free, especially if it happened on a regular basis- can just about afford to feed me and my pooch, never mind anyone else.Same would apply if I satyed at a pals/family- I wouldn't be so rude as to not, buy a meal,chip in towards a night out.....

singlehouseholder

Haha- thankfully not!!

victoriav

I wonder why this is such a 'grey' area and that no-one in positions of authority or of the knowlege regarding this, wants to commit themselves to giving a straight answer, otherwise people wouldn't need to ask on here, and on here is always a much better source of information, in my opinion - and many different angles looked at.

Really I think that the 'powers that be' like to create a horrible environment of people 'grassing' on eachother for just £50 cash reward, to do their spying for them.....just a thought, how would people ie neighbours, know you got benefits/council tax whatever unless you told them in the first place in anycase.?

Quite recently, I saw a case in a daily paper, where someone was allowed to live at their partners 3 nights per week, and then did 4 nights a week in a mobile home, in the garden, or roadside, and nobody could do a thing about it, especially as he drove it about and moved it,then went back. (bit like a gypsy I suppose) I don't believe there are 'black and white' rules in place at all, regarding how many nights a guest can stay, (I'm sure though it was 3 maximum according to that programme re benefit fraud that used to be on - you know - the one-sided view documentary) just some people have vindictive neighbours and the 'powers that be' justify their existence by choosing to make an example of one or two every so often. Thats more like it. Oh do I sound cynical here! but there is too much misconception that people on benefits must be fraudsters or having an easy life.

singlehouseholder

you're right what you say, sadly though , it isn't just neighbours who see fit to snitch. Its ex partners, people in the playground, the person down the pub,the list is endless.. There's always some-one out to get you, even if they've got the wrong end of the stick!! Some people even go to the lengths of sending in photo's or videotapes- often this "evidence" is disregarded because unless the person scores highly on the internal benefit reporting system, the agency will not pursue the debt. Its got to be cost effective for them before they'll start chasing it. I'd agree that it was 3 nights also, but I wouldn't like to guarentee it and end up with someone loosing their sole household income on my say so. The only people that can truly clarify, are those that are employed by the govt to pay it. You're right also in saying there are no black/white rules, as far as i'm aware, if there were any suspicions/reports then an interview would need to take place whereby a lengthy questionairre is completed then passed to a decision maker, who then decides.
You aren't cynical either, just honest, there are some nasty malicous people out there, you just gotta try and protect yourself from them suppose.

hobo28

I saw a program on this a while back, "On the Fiddle" I think it was called.

One of the things the investigators looked at was whether this other person has their own home. So for example if the person is paying a mortgage/rent somewhere else, is on council tax register then there's little they can do.

I think basically they look at the whole situation and make a decision. Ie. if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck......

the_devil_made_me_do_it

ts_aly2000 wrote:

Do they have a policy for one-night-stands and swinging??

wikkid I like your humour... well I hope it's humour :eek:

mart9012

I'm in the same boat really. I am on benefits - Council tax, Income Support and DLA (although my house is now paid for) and my girlfriend receives similar but also has social housing. We live thirty miles apart so sometimes we end up at my place and sometimes we end up at hers. Why is it a problem? We generally buy our own shopping and pay our own bills, I keep a change of clothes at hers and she keeps a change of clothes at mine. I'm not ready to move in with her yet and things are great right now!

dmg24

Was there a need to reopen a four year old thread?