housing benefit fraud

Housing_Benefit_Officer

snailz wrote: »

we had a talk about it last night and decided it might work better if he did actually move in, in terms of caring for my daughter and reducing the time of travelling to and from his flat. however, how do i go about this? is it too late? would i look guilty? im more than happy to attend that interview and hold my head up high. iv done nothing wrong. what will happen if i go down this route? thank you for your advice its very appreciated.

Only you can decide what the best living arrangements are.

Only you know how solid your relationship is and if living together will work.

I wouldn't be pressurised to do something too hasty if you are not ready because of some perceived wrongdoing and fraud - where as far as I can see no fraud exists. If things didn't work out and he has given up his flat where would he go?

But if you do decide to move in good luck for the future. You would need to add his name to your Housing Benefit claim and notify the DWP that you have formed a partnership.

You have nothing to feel guilty about. He doesn't live with you - he maintains his own home - he provides care for your daughter giving you some respite. If your circumstances then change and he moves in with you what have you to feel guilty about? Nothing - you have had a change in circumstances - people move in and out of their partners or former partner's homes all the time. Nothing unusual.

snailz

yes thats how i feel but when i spoke to the lady on the phone she said its ok to have a carer but she needs to work out if he is staying too much and how much of a relationship we are in, its this that makes me worry like she isnt taking in to account the reasons he is here... well i hope she does during the interview because i cant and wont lie. she admitted she has never dealt with a case like mine before where there has been a carer involved, this worries me too.

SHIRAZ

Of course she's going to say no to all of the questions asked about him having clothes there etc, and now that you've pretty much told her what they'll be looking for you've given her a chance to rid her house of any of his stuff in preparation. Only the investigating body can decide where the truth lies and this sounds as suspicious as hell to me. If he's on benefits he's getting his rent/council tax paid elsewhere so could easily keep up a false household so she can maximise her benefits too. The sooner things like this are stopped the better, it's just a farse...

I fail to believe that someone has a child with someone, trusts them enough to be a registered carer for their other child, is in a long term relationship but aren't "ready" to live together.
Hopefully the DWP will find the same from evidence they are no doubt already collating

Housing_Benefit_Officer

SHIRAZ wrote: »

Of course she's going to say no to all of the questions asked about him having clothes there etc, and now that you've pretty much told her what they'll be looking for you've given her a chance to rid her house of any of his stuff in preparation. Only the investigating body can decide where the truth lies and this sounds as suspicious as hell to me. If he's on benefits he's getting his rent/council tax paid elsewhere so could easily keep up a false household so she can maximise her benefits too. The sooner things like this are stopped the better, it's just a farse...

Sounding suspicious and committing fraud are two completely different things.

Before being called in for interview they would have already done credit checks, utility checks, checked the electoral register, where bank accounts are held, where money has been spent (most bank statements are itemised and you can work out where someone spends there money) etc.

To claim someone is living with someone else you need overwhelming evidence. Evidence that will stand up in a Court. I can think people live together as partners. I can have written statements from neighbours but unless you have documentary evidence to prove these allegations they aren't worth the money they are written on. Fraud Officers don't have the right to enter a property and peak in wardrobes and bathrooms - only if the claimant invites them in - but they are not allowed to search the house. Only a Police officer with a search warrant can search a house.

SHIRAZ

Housing_Benefit_Officer wrote: »

Sounding suspicious and committing fraud are two completely different things.

Before being called in for interview they would have already done credit checks, utility checks, checked the electoral register, where bank accounts are held, where money has been spent (most bank statements are itemised and you can work out where someone spends there money) etc.

To claim someone is living with someone else you need overwhelming evidence. Evidence that will stand up in a Court. I can think people live together as partners. I can have written statements from neighbours but unless you have documentary evidence to prove these allegations they aren't worth the money they are written on. Fraud Officers don't have the right to enter a property and peak in wardrobes and bathrooms - only if the claimant invites them in - but they are not allowed to search the house. Only a Police officer with a search warrant can search a house.

I was already editing to add this as you posted

Voyager2002

snailz wrote: »

hi all i need some help please. here is my situation. i have been in a on/off relationship with my boyfriend for several years, we decided that we are not ready to live together yet as we are just not ready for that step. i have a disabled daughter who needs 24 hour care and im sick myself, i have M.E and fibromyalgia. my daughter receives high rate care as she needs to be watched during the night, due to my illness i am not always able to do this. my boyfriend is her registered carer. he comes over to my house to care for her, sometimes he stays over to watch her during the night and sometimes during the day. somebody has reported me for fraud and says he lives here, which he doesnt, he has his own place where he spends time out of his caring hours. pls dont judge me for this but i am just simply not well enough to be her carer myself. he does not contribute to my bills nor do i to his. i have an interview on the 8th aug. will i be in trouble for this? the same situation happened 3 years ago and the same lady came out to my house and dismissed the case saying i was doing nothing wrong, that as long as he wasnt living with me i was not breaking the law, however that file has been destroyed as they do not save them for than 2 years. im very worried.

I don't think you need worry: they have already investigated and concluded that you are fine, so it is likely that they will reach the same conclusion again.

SHIRAZ

OP. you've contradicted yourself a bit saying he only stays over to care for your daughter when indeed it's you who stays up at night with her apparently...
If your older daughter is at school why can't your partner take the younger child during the day for a bit and let you sleep then? and why if you have a partner would you never get a break? surely if he had anything about him he would help out whether he was being paid for it or not, sounds like a right catch...


thanks nanny, my boyfriend claims carers allowance for my daughter, when he looks after her its the only time i get some rest. we live seperately so its just me who is up all night with her. it made sense for him to claim so i could get a break, if i had claimed, i would never get the break. we are waiting to hear back from social services at the moment

snailz

shiraz i dont understand your point? he comes over to help me, some nights i am up with her and then he comes stays other nights otherwise i would never get any sleep. she does not go to school, she is starting a special needs school in september when she will be 5. he is not her dad its not his responsibility to take care of her full time, i have to take care of her also, but i have my own condition which some days i struggle to even get out of bed, this is why the situation is so hard and why i wanted him to be her carer other than myself. if i was well enough i would do it all but im not. i get ESA for this reason. he actually left his job to be her carer. before this i struggled, he worked and was rarely at my house.

snailz

also being a good parent does not make them a good boyfriend. we argue because of the amount of pressure we under, me and both my daughter being ill can you imagine how difficult it is to have a 'normal' relationship. we can never do couple things. its a massive strain and we have split several times for this reason. yes i trust him to be a good dad why wouldnt i? he's issues are not with the children. his issues are with me and the fact that im so tired that we cant do anything together. whats the point in having him here full time if we argue, he has paid rent on his flat for 12 years before moving onto housing benefit and worked full time for this aswell, we are not trying to cheat the system.

SHIRAZ

sorry but I don't buy a single word you say, but I'm sure seeing as you've managed to get around the situation once already you'll have no trouble getting them to believe you this time, he gave up his job to be your daughters carer, you have a child together, your in a long term relationship and while you can't decide if your both "ready" to commit your both being funded entirely at the tax payers expense not one but 2 households?!!!!
if you argue so much and it's such a drag why are you even still together? completely ridiculous and extremely convenient for you both I'm sure...