Housing benefit fraud

keithj1983

lovinituk wrote: »

Why haven't you sorted it out in to your own name since you returned from travelling presumably in 2010 (you said you travelled for a year in starting in 2009)? That's not going to help your mum's case if that money has been sat in her name all this time.

Hello, I did try but its in a scottich widows investment account that is tied up for 7 years, they said it can not be transferred in to my name unless we withdraw the money and re invested it but there was a huge penalty so at the time before i knew about this i didnt think it was worth it.

lovinituk

keithj1983 wrote: »

Hello, I did try but its in a scottich widows investment account that is tied up for 7 years, they said it can not be transferred in to my name unless we withdraw the money and re invested it but there was a huge penalty so at the time before i knew about this i didnt think it was worth it.

It just makes it seem even more like your mums money. With hindsight paying the penalty to withdraw probably would have been better than your mum losing her benefits!

keithj1983

StormyWeather wrote: »

You'll have to declare the £45k too.

You have to provide yours and her bank statements to prove that what you're saying is true, If they go through your mum's old bank statements it will show up. I don't see how you can avoid it, other than her admitting fraud over the £3.5 excess, and even there is a possibility of them looking back far enough to see the transfer.

Hello, I think you are right, this is my opinion before i started the thread, i cant see how the council would not come across it if they do a thorough investigation, if i dont disclose it now it could turn out worse, but the council advised my solicitor what they do know about and this was not mentioned (45K) so my solicitor advised dont bring it to their attention.

keithj1983

lovinituk wrote: »

It just makes it seem even more like your mums money. With hindsight paying the penalty to withdraw probably would have been better than your mum losing her benefits!

Agree, and i feel awful for my mum. It may sound like im doing ok, but im not, i got lucky on a house that shot up in value so i though id secure myself. If i knew this would happen i would have done things different but you dont always think about everything at the time. My mum would lose benefit for 3 years apparently? I will just have to use the money to pay for her.

bloolagoon

Have you claimed any benefits in this time?

keithj1983

The main question is whether to disclose the 45k that I dont think the council know about. If we dont then there is potentially 17k in total that I would need to argue is mine and its not always been as high as 16k so im aware she may have to pay someback or something similar. If i declare 45k and they dont believe its mine then she is totally done for. My solicitors says i shouldnt? anyone experienced something similar?

keithj1983

bloolagoon wrote: »

Have you claimed any benefits in this time?

Hi, Ive never claimed any benefit in my life

Thanks

StormyWeather_2

What alerted the council to this money. I didn't think they randomly accessed claimants bank accounts. Has someone reported her?

keithj1983

StormyWeather wrote: »

What alerted the council to this money. I didn't think they randomly accessed claimants bank accounts. Has someone reported her?

Hi Stormyweather, thanks for your responses, I feel as though I agree with your opinion, I want to be honest because nothing was done dishonestly. Im just worried that sometimes honesty is not always the best policy even though it should be. We have no idea how they have come to investigate her. I can only assume they have looked at her statements and seen transfers between the accounts, because when she took out HB she only had a current account, whereas now i transferred money into her current account and she transferred it into the other accounts, that why im amazed they have not questioned 45k going to scottish widows and only the saver account and Isa.

StormyWeather_2

You've never claimed any benefits at all?

I don't see the logic of this 'fraud'.

If you were claiming benefits, sold a house, then squirreled the money away in the accounts of someone who wasn't claiming benefits (so outside of the system) so making yourself look poor. That would make sense.

I think get all the evidence you can.
Come clean about the whole situation.
And argue the motive point of view of what you did.