Does my partner moving back in after split affect my benefits?

fwench

My partner of several years and I split up for a period, during which he moved out of our home. We lived here for four years together, it's rented.

We have two children together. He paid me the maintenence sum recommended by the CSA website while we were apart. I claimed any benefit I was entitled to, under guidance of CAB, as youngest child is only two and I wasn't working. I got housing benefit, council tax reduction, tax credits, etc etc.

Now after a year we have decided we'd like to try again. It's going ok, and he is asking if he's allowed to move back in. I would like him to, but as he gets paid an average salary, £25k, obviously as a household we wouldn't be entitled to benefits. This is as it should be, but I've been warned that if he just moves back into our house it may look suspicious, like he moved out on purpose so I could claim benefits. I'm scared that if I let him move in with us again and just end all mt benefit claims I could be accused of benefit fraud?

While apart neither of us lived with anyone else as part of a couple, he came to see the children regularly, stayed over a handful of nights - xmas, when i'd been in hospital once, once when i was ill.

I would like us to be a family again, but now somebody has mentioned it I'm very afraid of being accused of taking advantage of the system. The only money my partner ever paid me was the amount the csa said he should. We never went to court over the children or money etc, it was very friendly, we wanted to get on for the children. Until a few weeks ago it never occured to me that we'd be 'trying again'. As it's me that's claimed as a single mother, i'd be the one supposedly committing the 'fraud'.

Where do I stand on this legally? May sound odd but I'd never claimed anything like that before and it took ages to sort out and i don't really know the rules. Can my partner move back in if i just end all my claims? Or do i have to pay it all back now?

mrsspendalot

I'd post this over on the benefits board, they might have some advice on this. But if your OH has evidence that he was paying bills to live somewhere else for that period, I can't imagine it would be a problem. I'm sure plenty of people separate and then get back together.

onlyroz

I can't see the problem, as long as you re-evaluate your benefits after he's moved back in.

floss2

As long as you declare that he has moved in, and put it on writing to all agencies involved - DSS, CSA, Council Tax & Housing Benefit offices - then you should be OK.

meritaten

As long as you inform benefits that he has moved back in - you should be ok. the problems come when you DONT inform them and someone else does!

McKneff

Stop worrying, inform everyone and enjoy the restof your life

Good luck

FBaby

I would tell all this to the benefit people right away rather than waiting for them to question things and then finding yourself trying to justify yourself. After all, couples do break up and get back together, it is not unheard of and they would have to have evidence to the contrary to accuse you of benefit fraud.

naughtyjo

Many couples get back together again after seperating. You claimed what you could legally and above board.
If he moves back in inform the relevant agencies asap and you will be fine.
They cant find you guilty of something you haven't done.
If they had thought you were a collusive seperation you would have been investigated a long time ago

fwench

naughtyjo wrote: »

Many couples get back together again after seperating. You claimed what you could legally and above board.
If he moves back in inform the relevant agencies asap and you will be fine.
They cant find you guilty of something you haven't done.
If they had thought you were a collusive seperation you would have been investigated a long time ago

What sort of things do they look for? We seperated out our finances obviously, but my partner found me a new car when mine broke etc - i paid of course, but he helped me with it and came to the garage. And also he came to hospital with me once and then stayed here for two nights to look after kids. I keep being paranoid over all these little things. Sometimes I think that we didn't look enough apart, if you see what i mean? We got on okay as we had to deal with the children, but have i made a mistake here? I thought I was entitled to benefits as i was a single parent, but i've found lots of stories about people being investigated as they had too much help from someone else. Sometimes we'd go shopping as a family unit so he could buy the kids some clothes etc, apparently this can be frowned upon?

GEEGEE8

If you acted in good faith then you have nothing to worry about... it's not like the benefits people are going to go to ASDA and check the video footage of who you went shopping with.

You have kids together so presumably he would still need to act as a father and be there for the children when you were in hospital, or when you said he wanted to buy some clothes for them.

If those are the only things that you have done in a year then I don't think anyone could say you were doing it to defraud the system and still having a relationship.

Was he paying bills elsewhere so he can prove he moved out? Was his address changed on his bank statements etc..

meritaten

fwench wrote: »

What sort of things do they look for? We seperated out our finances obviously, but my partner found me a new car when mine broke etc - i paid of course, but he helped me with it and came to the garage. And also he came to hospital with me once and then stayed here for two nights to look after kids. I keep being paranoid over all these little things. Sometimes I think that we didn't look enough apart, if you see what i mean? We got on okay as we had to deal with the children, but have i made a mistake here? I thought I was entitled to benefits as i was a single parent, but i've found lots of stories about people being investigated as they had too much help from someone else. Sometimes we'd go shopping as a family unit so he could buy the kids some clothes etc, apparently this can be frowned upon?

hun, where children are involved then naturally you are going to be seeing him. The benefits people do frown upon expartners staying over - but if they havent found out by now then relax!
just inform all the benefits people that your partner has moved back in and your A$$ is covered! you definately DO NOT want someone else telling them first as that will really land you in trouble! tell them now ASAP!
I can tell you from the experiences of a couple of people I know that you shouldnt delay!