Benefits and having Guests

ultimatedingbat

Hiya all,
Thank you for the advice.

We're mainly concerned that he will lose his benefits. He's just had a fight to keep them once after a missed medical due to an epileptic fit.

We know who has reported him and it is someone who quite frankly is currently making both our lives hell. She is obsessed with him and keeps spreading rumors that they are dating.

It has caused some upset between us but I trust him.

I am afraid sometimes when I go there as she stares at me through her window. PArt of me expects that my windscreen will get put through!

QUite honestly we want this resolved calmly. They've told him they are keeping watch, whatever this means.

I honestly have no reason to lie to them and neither does he. I go to visit weekends and stay over because I do live some distance away so I can't just go down in the evenings of whatever.

WOuld it be useful for me to get some proof of address elsewhere to provide them with? Or anything else we can do really to make them leave him alone.

dmg24

Have they asked to meet with you both? You are taking the right approach, and they will have dealt with malicious reports before. Be honest with them, but also take the opportunity to get some guidance as to what is acceptable for the future. It is very much decided on a case by case basis, but if you get guidance from Compliance Officers who know your situation, it will avoid the problem occurring again.

dmg24

BigFatMan wrote: »

Errr re-read it a few times yourself before posting your trash!

Quote- ''I got a phone call today from him telling me he'd been reported for having me living there''

You do not seem to understand the difference between the DWP having received a report, and the DWP accusing someone of living together. The DWP will conduct a full investigation before making a decision.

ultimatedingbat

dmg24 wrote: »

Have they asked to meet with you both? You are taking the right approach, and they will have dealt with malicious reports before. Be honest with them, but also take the opportunity to get some guidance as to what is acceptable for the future. It is very much decided on a case by case basis, but if you get guidance from Compliance Officers who know your situation, it will avoid the problem occurring again.

Not that I am aware of.

Can I make it clear that we are not living together. Someone, or rather we know exactly who, has made a malicious report that I am living there. It is meant to hurt him as she is obsessed with him.

I am expecting some more news later on this week. Currently as far as I know he has been told he is being monitored.

DMG - We never thought we were doing anything wrong. as far as we'd found out I was fine to go there on weekends and stay over, and occasionally stay a bit longer when he needs the help.

As he is epileptic sometimes he does just need someone to look after him and his family are not the most helpful of people all the time. His friends help all they can but he's said he prefers me being there.

Honestly, I just want to be able to spend time with my boyfriend without someone trying to hurt us. We're honestly not trying to defraud anyone or do anything. I have my life and he has his but he needs those benefits to survive.

I know I'm probably panicking over nothing but I am worried.

Oldernotwiser

OP, as you seem to be a student, do you have any income except for your student finance?

ultimatedingbat

Oldernotwiser - I have my student loan & bursary, plus a little bit of maintenance money from my Dad's work who give me a grant. Other than that I have no income.

I did work a little in the summer but that is just to put me on through the summer. It pays my car tax and fuel costs to get to my boyfriends house.

dmg24

If you were already in trouble, the first you would hear is an invite to an interview under caution. The fact that they have contacted you to advise that they have received the report means you should be able to clarify things before they go any further. It might be worth making a diary for the past few weeks, saying where you were staying and explaining the reason for any longer stays.

They may call you in for an interview as the next step, or they may arrange a home visit. Neither are anything to be scared of, but I'm sure you can tell by some of the responses on here that complying is much simpler than trying to challenge them at every step!

dmg24

Is your uni near home, or your partners? Do you live in halls at uni?

Oldernotwiser

ultimatedingbat wrote: »

Oldernotwiser - I have my student loan & bursary, plus a little bit of maintenance money from my Dad's work who give me a grant. Other than that I have no income.

I did work a little in the summer but that is just to put me on through the summer. It pays my car tax and fuel costs to get to my boyfriends house.

if you were to be considered to be living together, all this income would affect his means tested benefits.

As dmg24 has said, things are nowhere near this stage and your best bet is to be open and honest about the situation.

ultimatedingbat

dmg24 wrote: »

If you were already in trouble, the first you would hear is an invite to an interview under caution. The fact that they have contacted you to advise that they have received the report means you should be able to clarify things before they go any further. It might be worth making a diary for the past few weeks, saying where you were staying and explaining the reason for any longer stays.

They may call you in for an interview as the next step, or they may arrange a home visit. Neither are anything to be scared of, but I'm sure you can tell by some of the responses on here that complying is much simpler than trying to challenge them at every step!

I can mostly remember most of the times I have been there and have my diary to back up other information. I can explain my longest stay 7 days as I had lost my job, and wanted some comfort. I was intending to go home on the Sunday as usual but he had the fit and I wanted to stay with him because I was worried. Then we got his flat decorated.

Thanks for the info. I know it's easier to comply and we're planning on doing that.

As to your uni question I'm originally from West Yorkshire. He lives in Nottinghamshire. I live in Leicestershire when I am at university. I'm closer to him when I am at university but it is still a train trip away.