Should you tell tax credits office if new relationship forms...

d4d74

Just a quick question but my ex moved out last October and has since been having a new relationship. We get on quite well (we have kids) but I'm worried that she isn't telling the tax credits office the truth and this will affect our kids financially.

I've agreed to buy all the kids stuff for them and provide for them rather than involve CSA, and pay for all their dance classes,shoes,school trips, uniforms etc

Basically she moved out in October, and her new boyfriend stays over her house 2 days a week, when I have the kids for 3 days a week, she stays at his house. She collects about £600 a month in benefits as a single parent. I took the kids on holiday for 7 days recently and she told me that she spent the whole week at her boyfriends.

Does anyone know if she should be telling HMRC? as I'm worried she will get into trouble and this will affect the kids if they ask for the money back.

Thanks

paulineb_2

If hes staying over 2 nights a week I dont think hes classed as officially living there. If it were 4 out of 7 then that would be a different matter.

But you could always phone and without mentioning names, ask them.

If she goes on holiday for a week that shouldnt affect, but again long term if she moved out and started living with the bf then that would.

You might be able to find guidelines online, housing benefit do have rules, but tbh, theres not very much you can do about what shes choosing to do when the kids arent with her.

And if she did get reported, its her that would need to deal with the consequences if she was found to be breaking any rules.

mum2one

It sounds like your ex could be walking a very fine line, there is no set rules as to how long you can stay over or the new partner stay over at yours, but it goes down to whether he contribues to the bills, eats there, has his washing done there.

Obviously if your ex can prove he has no financial connection to the house - ie his own bank account, tenancy, her own receipts for food etc.

If he was just staying over on adhoc basis and vice versa and was living out of a bag, that would be seen different, but she is walking on a thin line.

It could be something as simple as a neighbour seeing the new man coming and going her disappearing for 2 ngts at his house, - they may see it as shes a single parents raking in all the money.

I know your paying for a lot of the stuff for the kids, but do u have a written agreement for this or a paper trail, if everything went wrong and the CSA got involved, she could say i've never recieved a penny, and all these items are gifts.

paulineb_2

The flip side of this is, people who are on WTC should have the right to have a new relationship and have the occasional night over at someones house and vice versa without it necessarily being an issue.
Also OP, I understand you have an interest because if she loses the WTC then that may mean that you end up paying more money out. But I assume shes telling you this in confidence, have you actually told her you have concerns about this man being there incase she loses income?

Id check the facts out with HMRC first and then worry later.

d4d74

Well she works about 32 hours a week too, and works with him, so they are in a serious relationship now, but obviously they live at his house for 3 days a week when kids are not at home. I don't mind buying all the kids stuff, even though we earn the same amount per month (hers topped up by the tax credits).

I have told her that she should inform the tax credits office, but she says that's a private matter and none of my business, but if they ever found out, she would have a lot of money to repay (her boyfriend is manager of a retailer)

Voyager2002

mum2one wrote: »

SNIP (Good advice)
I know your paying for a lot of the stuff for the kids, but do u have a written agreement for this or a paper trail, if everything went wrong and the CSA got involved, she could say i've never recieved a penny, and all these items are gifts.

Note that the CSA have absolutely no interest in what money or things you have bought for the kids. They have a very simple formula: a set percentage of your income depending on the number of children is taken, and if you want to spend part of what is left supporting them then that is fine, but it makes no difference to the amount that they take.

duchy

Would you consider yourself in a live in relationship if you spent Friday and Saturday night at a girlfriend's each week ?

If apart from holidays it's only two nights AND they have kept their finances seperate there is unlikely to be an issue if she is investigated...... However odds are her benefits woul be stoppe whilst the investigation goes on -so that would impact on the children (and possibly any good relationship you have with your wife currently.)

Housing_Benefit_Officer

Why concern yourself with your ex-partner's finances and relationships - just let it go - don't concern or involve yourself in what she is doing and who with.

princessdon

I can see why you are concerned, you have the children virtually the same amount of time (3 nights a week), yet she gets all the benefits.

However, what you say is not reportable, people are allowed relationships and staying over. If he contributes financially to her household, uses her address for postage and or credit/finances, they share bills etc, then yes this is reportable. Having a new relationship and staying over isn't classed as living as if husband and wife.

zzzLazyDaisy

The question is, are they living together as husband and wife? Clearly they are not. She doesn't take the children to his house, and he only stays at hers two nights a week. From what you say he is maintaining his own separate household, with rent, bills, etc. He will be registered with a gp there, and that will be his address for his employer, bank etc. These are the things that are looked at in an investigation.

If he was living with her, supporting her, being a daddy-figure to your kids, then that would be different, but the sort of relationship you describe is unlikely to be viewed as LTAH&W.

You do realise that if you report her and get her investigated, one possible outcome might be that you may just push them into move in together. That wouldn't make any difference to what you have to pay as CSA is calculated on only your income, her circumstances are irrelevant. However it would be a big change for the children. From what you say she is taking things slowly, and that is sensible. But she is entitled to a life.

Jobseeeker

They are not living together

he pays rent/council tax and bills somewhere else. Therefore there is no money saved by them dating. She is in the same financial position as she would be if she wasn't dating anyone

HMRC do not care about your love life, only about your financial affairs