housing benefit fraud

snailz

a couple of years ago we actually considered living together and him moving in, the money we would have got would have been slightly more than what we have now. there is no financial gain in this situation. i would love for us to get along and not be fighting in front of the children, but what would happen if he moved in and was here all the time? im worried that we would end up fighting all the time and he would move back out and we would be back in the same situation. people get together and can be happy and then their relationships break down due to whatever reason surely?

SHIRAZ

Whatever you say dear, it's all getting a bit tedious now, you clearly are a family, I'm not saying he should be responsible for your disabled child, it was you who said he gave up a job to look after his step daughter and you have gone on to have another child. The whole set up just sounds like it's done for you both to maximise your incomes.
Leave you to it now, you clearly both have issues right enough...

snailz

just think about what you are saying, what can we possibly gain from this? he can be her carer if he lives at his flat or at my house, why would it benefit us to live apart if we could be a family and be happy? he chose to live there because we couldnt get along. he paid his rent from his own pocket, and yes now he gets housing benefit but what does that gain? i dont understand what you are saying, like we want to make money out of this? how? every day he has to travel to and from his place for a carer job he could do regardless, what i mean is, he would get the same amount in benefits or slightly more if he lived with me. i completely understand your point about the fact that we have a relationship and should most likely either make or break but im scared of making a huge mistake and losing the one person who my daughter adores and who is actually capable of looking after her needs because its something that even i struggle with can you imagine bringing in a new carer who she doesnt know? it would be hell.

snailz

anyway it doesnt matter i guess they will just see it the way you do, iv tried to be honest and im coming over as being a liar so they will most likely not understand my situation either. so ill probably end up going to prison and have my children put in care

Housing_Benefit_Officer

snailz - the only person you have to prove anything to is the person who will be interviewing you.

In an ideal world we would all be living in a nuclear family of a married couple with 2.2 children and a Labrador in a house they own with enough wages that they don't claim benefits.

But life isn't like that - and what might seem odd relationship set ups to some - will be normal to many.

snailz

Thank you all i can do is tell them what iv said on here. maybe i should have just asked him to move in when he gave up his job. you see when he was working he came over in the evenings and we argued so much then, i just couldnt cope with that when hes here and not working. what happens if they dont believe me?

Housing_Benefit_Officer

snailz wrote: »

Thank you all i can do is tell them what iv said on here. maybe i should have just asked him to move in when he gave up his job. you see when he was working he came over in the evenings and we argued so much then, i just couldnt cope with that when hes here and not working. what happens if they dont believe me?

Come to that hurdle if it comes - if it does go to the Citizens Advice Bureau for advice on appealing. Pointless speculating and worrying yourself if you have done nothing wrong.

snailz

Thanks so much i dont think i have and i didnt realize that others would see it differently, its been interesting to hear other points of view, if i have done something wrong it most certainly was not intentionally, i just hope that if any crime has been committed they will see my reasons and that i wasnt clear on 'visiting' rules other than i went out to commit fraud

princessdon

The main barrier you have is that he isn't just your child's carer, he's your lover\partner.

If he was a true carer (ie not in a relationship), you can see how things would be different.

You posted re the need for separate bedrooms for your children - therefore I assume he sleeps with you when he stays over ?
Not normal actions for a carer to have perks like that. It puts you in a position whereby he stays to care, but yet he's in a relationship with you.

You have a lot of evidence of separate households so you'll probably get away with it, but whoever keeps reporting you seems sure you are in a relationship so you may find yourself reported again in the future.

Also no one here knows what the reporter said and what evidence they gave if any. I know someone in a similar position and all was ok, until they revived further evidence from wherever, then looked at HIS bank accounts and discovered he'd been subletting therefore evidence he didn't live where he said he did.

Do you use Facebook? Have you posted things that could have been printed, would anyone have evidence against what you say? Have you been on holiday together, do your friends and neighbours see you as a couple.

Do you have evidence via phone records or social services for example that show you are on your own a lot?

benefitbaby

You may find the link below a useful read.
http://www.gardencourtchambers.co.uk/imageUpload/File/Livingtogether.pdf