What am I missing?

beanjay1

Can somebody tell me where I am going wrong? If my girlfriend moves in with me as my partner, her income is added to mine and I lose my Housing and Council Tax Benefit. If my girlfriend moves in with me under the Rent a Room scheme, she gets free accommodation and I still get my Housing and Council Tax Benefit.
I have a spare room and I can find nothing in any Regulations that makes this illegal. What am I missing?
bean

karenx

The fact is that she is your partner so living together in whatever way will make you a couple for benefit purposes. If you dont like it dont move in together

Indie_Kid

beanjay1 wrote: »

If my girlfriend moves in with me under the Rent a Room scheme, she gets free accommodation and I still get my Housing and Council Tax Benefit.

How is she renting if the room is free?

McKneff

If your gf moves in with you under the rent a room scheme,
you would be both committing fraud.

You would be living as a couple and would be claiming things you
are not entitled to. Simples.

mitchaa

Can you sublet council property? You would have to declare this income in any case.

It just wouldn't work but I see where you are coming from

beanjay1

I don’ live in Council Property. In order to be committing fraud I have to be breaking some law or regulation. For those who are judgemental please advise which regulation or law this is before implying I would be on the fiddle. I would have to advise change of circumstances and that someone else was living at the property and the rent they paid to me for the room would be deducted from my Housing Benefit. As far as I can see that is all. We would both be better off without breaking any rules or laws. This is about legitimately saving money - not fiddling.
bean

dmg24

beanjay1 wrote: »

I don’ live in Council Property. In order to be committing fraud I have to be breaking some law or regulation. For those who are judgemental please advise which regulation or law this is before implying I would be on the fiddle. I would have to advise change of circumstances and that someone else was living at the property and the rent they paid to me for the room would be deducted from my Housing Benefit. As far as I can see that is all. We would both be better off without breaking any rules or laws. This is about legitimately saving money - not fiddling.
bean

The LA will ask if you are in a relationship with your 'tenant'. As you wish to do this legitimately, you will of course state that you are. The LA will assess if you are living together as a couple. Assuming they find you to be a couple, you will be assessed accordingly.

McKneff

beanjay1 wrote: »

I don’ live in Council Property. In order to be committing fraud I have to be breaking some law or regulation. For those who are judgemental please advise which regulation or law this is before implying I would be on the fiddle. I would have to advise change of circumstances and that someone else was living at the property and the rent they paid to me for the room would be deducted from my Housing Benefit. As far as I can see that is all. We would both be better off without breaking any rules or laws. This is about legitimately saving money - not fiddling.
bean

i am not being judgemental. its all fact. I didnt imply you would be on the fiddle. i said you would be.

Look at DMG'24s post.

Soubrette

beanjay1 wrote: »

I don’ live in Council Property. In order to be committing fraud I have to be breaking some law or regulation. For those who are judgemental please advise which regulation or law this is before implying I would be on the fiddle. I would have to advise change of circumstances and that someone else was living at the property and the rent they paid to me for the room would be deducted from my Housing Benefit. As far as I can see that is all. We would both be better off without breaking any rules or laws. This is about legitimately saving money - not fiddling.
bean

Will you be charging her full market rent? Will you be sharing the costs of all bills? Will you be sharing household chores? Will you be having sex with her? Will you be sharing a car? Will you cook each other meals? Will you do your shopping together?

Basically if you are a couple that live together then all benefit claims have to be made as a couple if they are legitimate.

If she is genuinely a lodger, then you can claim as a single person who happens to have a lodger.

If you are a couple but claim as a single person then that is fraudulent and not

legitimately saving money

There are people who have thought up this wheeze before

LondonDiva

A dictionary:

Fraud

Pronunciation:/frɔːd/
noun

[mass noun]

• wrongful or criminal deception intended to result in financial or personal gain:he was convicted of fraud [count noun] :prosecutions for social security frauds
• [count noun] a person or thing intended to deceive others, typically by unjustifiably claiming or being credited with accomplishments or qualities:mediums exposed as tricksters and frauds

Origin:

Middle English: from Old French fraude, from Latin fraus, fraud- 'deceit, injury'

http://oxforddictionaries.com/view/entry/m_en_gb0314620#m_en_gb0314620

beanjay1

Soubrette. Which of your questions makes this “wheeze” illegal? Is it against the law to do any of those things with anyone, a lodger or a girlfriend?
By the way, what is a “wheeze” and how did the people who “thought it up” get on?
bean