HB problems. Need lots of support please.

[Deleted User]

Hi
I haven't been here for a while.
I was reading a job application today and because the job was with the council, there was something saying that that they have to protect public's money (or something like that).
Than it downed on me that my husband and I haven't updated our situation to HB for a few years now (I think 3 years or so).
My husband has had some pay rises and bonuses and I as a self employed had a very changeable income.
I have spent the whole day thinking about it but hadn't call them as I need to talk to my husband first and he is at work.
I have no idea how much is the overpayment but is not little.
I don't mind have the HB suspended and pay it all back (in instalments of course), and be penniless and go hungry.
But we have a small child and we can not go to jail.
I am temped to get all paper work I can and go there on Monday and tell them everything, but I don't want us to go to jail.
Or should I just cancel the HB for good?
The job I want to apply for is for September, will it ruin my chances??

Please don't attack me, I know it is a stupid mistake, and I need to talk to someone.

I was very organised to start with, but my husband has a terrible habit of not opening letters and leaving payslips at work and I just got extremely busy and just stopped dealing with it.

But yes I know it is wrong and there is no excuses.
I will do anything to pay what we have to as long and we don't go to jail and are not humiliated publicly for my child's sake.

help4help2013

first thing first you need to phone them or go down first thing on Monday even though it is wrong that you did not inform them of any changes its always better coming from you admitting it than them finding it out themselves .

they do treat these things seriously but if you open up and be honest about it they might not prosecute you but its always an option they have. you need to to give them all the information you have yours and your husbands pay slips bank statements ect ect they will ask for theses anyway plus they will suspend your claim straight away while they investigate this
if you was calming HB was you getting council tax benefit as-well? if yes then this will also be suspended and they will want this overpayment back


i know it hard not to worry but there is not much you can do now until Monday but please make sure you get this sorted out the longer you leave it the worse it will be once you have told them what has happened they will then decide what they will do about it and if it does go down the prosecution route then you will need to get legal representation for this but that does not mean you will go to prison its one of the options but it does not always go that way

you will know the position the council will take once they have investigated this
im not too sure about the job aspect though if your found guilty of HB fraud i dont think the council would employ you but im not 100% on that

[Deleted User]

Ok.
Can I just go down there or do I need an appointment.
Should I call first, explain and get an appointment or take a chance and go there, what do you advise?
Yes, I will do it on Monday, the closing date for the job I am applying (with good chances to get in) is on Friday.
Also, what does prosecution mean? If not jail, what? Also the legal representation, do I really need one? What if we can't pay?
Please tell me 100% we won't go to jail as we are telling them about it, rather than they finding out.
And no, is just HB, no council tax involved or tax credits.
We just receive HB and CB.

help4help2013

you can call them if you want too they will ask you down for an interview to discuss this matter further i cannot tell you that you will not go to jail its always an option im not a lawyer or a solicitor so i cannot give you legal advice and i cannot predict what will happen i can only tell you what they have the right to do if the choose too they will investigative it to see if you have deliberately miss informed them or it was a genuine mistake

you might be best contacting the citizen advice bureau on Monday and speak to them to see if they can give you more advice on this its a complex thing and the best advcie you can get is from someone who is more experienced in this field

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/wales/about_this_site/contact_us.htm

[Deleted User]

it will of course be far better for you to admit whats happened rather than them finding out and"coming after you",so as suggested get all the info together over the weekend then contact them on monday
i also cant tell you that you wont go to prison as i dont know enough about the amounts involved etc.but i do know that nothing is ever worth taking your own life for
good luck and update us next week if you can

duchy

Deleted_User wrote: »

Hi

But yes I know it is wrong and there is no excuses.
I will do anything to pay what we have to as long and we don't go to jail and are not humiliated publicly for my child's sake.

So if you kill yourself....What about your child then ?

For most parents they wouldn't want their children to grow up knowing their parent deliberately chose to take their life and desert them .........

Stop panicking and spend the weekend gathering up your paperwork -then go to Citizen's Advice and then the council on Monday morning and get it sorted out. The fact you went to them first will be a very strong point in your favour. No-one can tell you 100% what will happen exactly and if they will choose to prosecute or not but if you have sorted out a payment plan I can't see why they would as they'd rather have the money back and that won't happen if you are jailed.

sniffles

This is worrying.. You would really kill yourself and say so on an Internet forum? Please think again. The grey sky today will surprise you tomorrow. Please stick it out today. Xx

Bollotom

3 years at £100 (maybe) a week is only about £16000 less what you would have been entitled to anyway so just tell them you kept meaning to do it but kept putting it off. Whose bank does it go in to? And who made the original claim? You'll have to pay it back. Oh. And tell your husband the next time he doesn't bring home a payslip you'll kick him in the nuts. And make sure you put your own payslips in regularly too. They'll probably ask for bank statements and payslips anyway. :cool:

help4help2013

the OP is clearly worried and about this the last thing the OP needs is all the negative comments yes the OP did something wrong and they are now going to fix it people can get very distressed and dont know where to go for advice at times hence why they have come to this site for help and advice some people can be very brutal and negative on this site when there is no need for it yes the OP did something wrong but they came here for help and advice not to get an internet bashing from negative people

there are other sites that offer help and support just like this one but the OP choose to use this one lets just hope this site is not becoming one of those forum sites that only allow bashing and negativity instead of help advice

nonnatus

My God!


When I was on HB for less than a year, they checked and updated my claim roughly every SIX WEEKS!! Surely the OP has had SOME contact in three years and so presumable has lied every time.


(Text removed by MSE Forum Team)

[Deleted User]

It is in my husband's name in the original claim, his bank as the rent comes out of his salary, he is the main earner and my income is there in the claiming too. It is not full HB.

My husband leaves payslips, P60s at work, then he takes back puts in random drawers, don't open anything, don't deal with anything, any paperwork, nothing.
I have been trying to be on top of everything on my own, I used to nag and nag him for payslips when we were receiving Tax Credits etc, it was a nightmare.
I work in the afternoons, there is no way I can take time on Monday, maybe later on in the week. I won't be able to see CAB and HB office in one morning, so I will just call them on Monday and book an appointment.