Compliance Visit from DWP

Mojisola

Fluffybug wrote: »

Thank you, but we are complying with children's services. They are aware of the arrangements and often do spot checks. I have been woken at 8 in the morning by them pressing their nose up against the window and banging on it and checking I was asleep alone on the sofa. They often do unannounced visits to check, and have watched our house to make sure he only attends during the hours they know of.
Unfortunately, he is my entire support network, so they understand he helps out a lot with the kids

I'm really surprised by that. What on earth is the difference between what you're doing and having him at home full time?

If they have been monitoring the situation so closely then I would just refer the DWP to the social workers. They can provide the evidence.

It would make things clearer for the DWP if he could use another address for correspondence.

Fluffybug

miduck wrote: »

I am in agreement with Mojisola here, your living arrangements are unlikely to be what SS intended when it was agreed your husband was moving out. He sees the children more than many fathers that do live at home.

You need to be honest with both the DWP and SS, but be prepared that both may not be happy with your arrangement.

If the only thing keeping you apart is a psychiatric report, why not just pay to go private? Far cheaper than maintaining two households.

We wouldn't even know where to start, re going private. His business is only just starting and although he's been getting work, it's at a low rate at the moment. He's living on next to nothing until his wages start coming through, and with me on benefits I'm not sure we would be able to afford it until after the date the NHS have given us anyway.

Fluffybug

Mojisola wrote: »

I'm really surprised by that. What on earth is the difference between what you're doing and having him at home full time?

If they have been monitoring the situation so closely then I would just refer the DWP to the social workers. They can provide the evidence.

It would make things clearer for the DWP if he could use another address for correspondence.

Unfortunately he has no other address. The friend he's staying with has said flat out no to having post directed there, and his family moved to Dubai a few years ago, so there's no-one locally that could do it for him. He has looked into getting a PO Box, but won't be able to afford this for another month or two

pmlindyloo

Fluffybug wrote: »

Thank you, but we are complying with children's services. They are aware of the arrangements and often do spot checks. I have been woken at 8 in the morning by them pressing their nose up against the window and banging on it and checking I was asleep alone on the sofa. They often do unannounced visits to check, and have watched our house to make sure he only attends during the hours they know of.
Unfortunately, he is my entire support network, so they understand he helps out a lot with the kids

If you are complying with the Child protection order and Children's services are fully aware of the arrangements and happy with them then this rather contradicts your belief that Social Services have reported you to the DWP.

You need to speak to Social Services and gain their support as regards your living arrangements. If they are totally happy with your current arrangements then they should be able to support you by writing a report with all their 'findings' and this should be sufficient to allow you to claim as a single person.

Fluffybug

whitewing wrote: »

OP, I do believe you are doing your best in extremely trying circumstances. I also think that this arrangement is not going to go down well with Children's Services if they are concerned about the safety of your children.

Is it possible for you to get some legal advice from a solicitor? I don't know the rules but perhaps the children themselves may be eligible for support towards the cost of this, if you aren't? I guess it may mean though that legally the courts agree with children's services.

I have spoken to a solicitor briefly (free half hour) who's advice was "comply until they go away".
I would be entitled to legal aid to challenge any of SS's decisions, but was told doing so may do more harm than good.

Fluffybug

pmlindyloo wrote: »

If you are complying with the Child protection order and Children's services are fully aware of the arrangements and happy with them then this rather contradicts your belief that Social Services have reported you to the DWP.

You need to speak to Social Services and gain their support as regards your living arrangements. If they are totally happy with your current arrangements then they should be able to support you by writing a report with all their 'findings' and this should be sufficient to allow you to claim as a single person.

They aren't happy at all, but are understanding that my husband is my only support network, and so are being, in their words, "begrudgingly flexible" as I am (unhappily) complying with all other things (going to counselling I do not want to go to, taking pills I do not want to, having them barge into a family party unannounced last Thursday etc)

Mojisola

pmlindyloo wrote: »

If you are complying with the Child protection order and Children's services are fully aware of the arrangements and happy with them then this rather contradicts your belief that Social Services have reported you to the DWP.

You need to speak to Social Services and gain their support as regards your living arrangements. If they are totally happy with your current arrangements then they should be able to support you by writing a report with all their 'findings' and this should be sufficient to allow you to claim as a single person.

This seems to way to go. I don't see how the DWP can rule you are a couple when the SS are monitoring you so closely.

Fluffybug

Mojisola wrote: »

This seems to way to go. I don't see how the DWP can rule you are a couple when the SS are monitoring you so closely.

This is what I'm hoping. I have copies of core group meeting minutes and child protection conference minutes with copies of all working agreements around contact but also with the stipulation that we cannot be a couple or live together full time. He is also not allowed to stay over at other times.

spacey2012

They will cross check what you tell them with evidence they hold.
As they have Power of RIPA, expect this to be E-mail's and telephone call interception and surveillance evidence.
A home visit usually is the last part of evidence gathering.
If all corresponds, they will close the file.

LittleMax

I think your bigger concern should be Children's Services. Your children are under a child protection order and it sounds like you are in breach of the contact arrangements that have been agreed. You are allowing your husband into your home to have contact with the children for 48 hours each week. You refer to going out to do errands when he wakes up, so I am assuming he is then with the children alone. You have not given full details of the contact arrangements but I am assuming from the background you provide that your partner is not supposed to have unsupervised contact.

You need to work with Children's Services - no matter whether you agree with them or not. They are working at all times to protect the children. Yes, it will be a long and difficult process to demonstrate to the professionals that your husband is not a risk to the children. But if you really want to get back together then do it properly, and, for your children's sake, make sure that your husband is getting the help he needs and really isn't a risk. You yourself have called the police out to have him removed in the past ... you say that this wasn't in front of the children, but is that really the case? If things were so bad the police had to be called out the children won't have slept through it.