council tax they want us to inform on our son

lindann_2

Got a letter of the benefit people, they had been informed my youngest son is resident at this address, he moved out two years ago.. He, has or will inform them of his new address as he is moving again this weekend.. They said if we do not let them know in 14 days.. lists of reason why we not let them know etc... also they want information about his earnings etc
letter states that
quote
If he did not live at your address, then tell them his home address.

If we do not do as they say they would insert a non-dependant deduction and alter our benefits etc.. hubby is on pension credit /other son pays his portion of the council tax when he moved in, couple of weeks after son had left our address.. until oldest my son sorts himself out its only temporary arrangement..

Is this a breach of the data protection act? or is their place to find our son?

thank you lindann x

CIS

I very much doubt that they can force you to reveal where you son is but if they have enough belief that he was/is resident at your property then they can recalculate your benefits on that basis.

Not informing them will result result in a financial cost to yourself therefore why not ask your son to notify then ASAP.

dolce_vita

Sounds like you have tried to "pull a fast one" and have been caught out.

You will either have to try and blag them again or pay up.

jonewer

Whats the problem?

You wouldnt by any chance be trying to defraud your fellow citizens of their tax money now would you?

Edit - According to the DPA you can disseminate personal data for the prevention or detection of crime and the apprehension of offenders. Now, since you were doing an ickle bit of benefit fraud here, this puts you in the frame. However, you are not compelled to give them any information but they can, and hopefully will, take a bite out of your benefits if you dont do so. Which is fair enough.

Guy_Montag

I'm not sure what's going on here.

Someone has told the benefits people that your youngest is staying with you & he's not? Is that correct? In which case write to them stating when he moved out. If necessary, say that he is moving around just now, & you do not have a fixed address for him at present.

If you are fiddling the benefits system, I suggest you stop &, if you're about to get caught out, try to rectify the problem.

lindann_2

MM excuse me, l came to ask some advice not to be accused of fiddling the benefit, office.. it is a disgrace to the forum.

I know that there is many people who do try to fiddle the system but not us so please do not accuse us of doing anything other. I value my good name and my hubbys, l not going to belittle myself to answer these replies to my posting etc..

l think lot of good done on this forum, but its sadly let down by people assuming that most of us is on the fiddling.... when we can genuine prove we do not.

I have complied to the letter they sent me, also my son has gone to them

pinkshoes

Just write them a letter saying Master Lindann moved out of this address on <insert date>, and is on the council register at <insert his current address>.

If he's paying his council tax at another address, then what's the problem?!?!

If he's not paying CT and cheating the system, then you either lie and tell them you don't have his current address (don't expect any nice comments from people on here!) or tell the truth!

jonewer

lindann wrote: »

MM excuse me, l came to ask some advice not to be accused of fiddling the benefit, office.. it is a disgrace to the forum.

I know that there is many people who do try to fiddle the system but not us so please do not accuse us of doing anything other. I value my good name and my hubbys, l not going to belittle myself to answer these replies to my posting etc..

l think lot of good done on this forum, but its sadly let down by people assuming that most of us is on the fiddling.... when we can genuine prove we do not.

I have complied to the letter they sent me, also my son has gone to them

Lindann, perhaps it might help if your opening post was more coherent?

If you arent on the fiddle, dont you think it strange that everyone thought you were? Now is this the fault of everyone else or just you and your garbled OP?

FWIW - Even after reading your OP 7 times, it still gives the strong impression you are trying to cover up benefit fraud.

MarkyMarkD

One has to ask why you posted in the first place, lindann.

If you, and your son, are not trying to fiddle benefit then there's no earthly reason why you wouldn't disclose his address to "the benefit people".

Hence why everyone assumed you were on the fiddle.

A lot of people on here haven't got patience for people who are trying to avoid doing things right.

lindann_2

I KNOW that he had moved out, he told us to tell the council, that he has a new address, that he has notifed them. This we believe to be true. We live in a two bedroomed house, his brother who is paying council tax has the use of the bedroom. The son in questioned who is 33 yrs old is responsible for his own whereabouts, his own duty towards the council tax once he moved out..

I have told the council his new address, what he was doing prior to this address is his own business; he not lived here that the real fact for number of months.... Maybe some sick person who has it in for him, or us.. we do not know.

still everone is entitled to their own thoughts.. it was a genuine asking for help, to understand the system as we do not. We are all not scroungers, we are entitled to all benefits, that is due to us. We have medical data to back up all claims and hubby age is entitled to pension credit..

still its leaves a nasty taste to be tarred with the same brush as someone who has fiddled the system etc, people do seem to do now days , they assumed the worse... rather accpt people telling the truth

RichardJohn_2

DPA doesn't apply here, it's about businesses protecting collected data, not about you disclosing information to the authorities.