Benefit fraud, interview under caution

marliepanda

w06 wrote: »

it does but equally my friends and I do all of those things, and we're definitely not a couple or trio

whoever used to live in my house (>7 years ago) still had their bank and insurance at this address until I sent the post back with a stroppy letter rather than just retruning to sender a few months ago, you're not the only person to have not changed address op

You have children with these friends? You share a car and until recently your friends insured their car at your house?

Oh and the person who used to live at your house. You have a child with them too? They come and stay with you from time to time and go on holiday?

You can't just look at the elements separately and claim it's normal...

w06

no and that's not what i said, those things, with or without, sharing children whilst suggestive that it is a partnership do not make it definitely so.

i've no idea who used to live at my house, i was merely saying that they too had not changed their address in at least 7 years of not living here

marliepanda

w06 wrote: »

no and that's not what i said, those things, with or without, sharing children whilst suggestive that it is a partnership do not make it definitely so.

i've no idea who used to live at my house, i was merely saying that they too had not changed their address in at least 7 years of not living here

And no one said the individual parts make it an issue, it's the frequent overnight visits, the financial ties and the lack of accurate addressing all put together that causes the issue. These things separately aren't relevant, but that doesn't help the OP at all, as these are not the issues they are facing.

Your case of your previous occupant COULD cause you issue if you were claiming benefit. In your case you could show you have no idea who they are and have nothing to do with them. It'd be different if you said 'oh yes I have a child with them and they pop round to stay quite a lot.. oh and that car on the drive is in his name...'

rw17

Why would I not visit my kids daily in their own home? Obviously there are days when it is not possible to see them but I like to be with them as much as possible. Occasionally I stay over to look after my children, as I said it is difficult to have them at mine and makes sense for them to be in their own home. Occasionally she will have a dinner left out for me if she has made too much. We would both be in more than one couple if sharing a cup of tea and watching a film is evidence of being together. I went on holiday with my children, I would not take them alone, who better to come than their mother? Does the fact that my sister also came along point to either I or the ex being in a relationship with her? If we didn't have the children then of course I would very rarely see her. The car stays at her house, it didn't make sense to me to change the address. I realise the error of my ways in regards to that. She can't afford a car of her own and I barely use it so let's say I have long term loaned it to her instead. As for work they knew that I had moved as my landlady contacted my manager to confirm that I worked there, although the address was never officially changed. I have never received post from them so it was at the back of my mind to change it as I (wrongly) assumed that they knew. It has never once occurred to me to change my address with the school (until someone pointed it out) reason being they have my phone number, if there was an emergency I wouldn't expect someone to be turning up at my door, they also never send postal correspondence.

marliepanda

rw17 wrote: »

Why would I not visit my kids daily in their own home? Obviously there are days when it is not possible to see them but I like to be with them as much as possible. Occasionally I stay over to look after my children, as I said it is difficult to have them at mine and makes sense for them to be in their own home. Occasionally she will have a dinner left out for me if she has made too much. We would both be in more than one couple if sharing a cup of tea and watching a film is evidence of being together. I went on holiday with my children, I would not take them alone, who better to come than their mother? Does the fact that my sister also came along point to either I or the ex being in a relationship with her? If we didn't have the children then of course I would very rarely see her. The car stays at her house, it didn't make sense to me to change the address. I realise the error of my ways in regards to that. She can't afford a car of her own and I barely use it so let's say I have long term loaned it to her instead. As for work they knew that I had moved as my landlady contacted my manager to confirm that I worked there, although the address was never officially changed. I have never received post from them so it was at the back of my mind to change it as I (wrongly) assumed that they knew. It has never once occurred to me to change my address with the school (until someone pointed it out) reason being they have my phone number, if there was an emergency I wouldn't expect someone to be turning up at my door, they also never send postal correspondence.

So basically you've made mistakes and all of these mistakes add up to a suspicious looking situation.

Therefore the DWP will look into it and see what they think.

Your car insurance needs to be where you live. You're not the main driver so your car insurance is illegal if you are down as main driver, and if it's at her house then she should be insured on it at her house.

powerful_Rogue

powerful_Rogue wrote: »

Another question they may ask and look into is what were the sleeping arrangements when you went on holiday?

OP, what about the above?

rw17

marliepanda wrote: »

So basically you've made mistakes and all of these mistakes add up to a suspicious looking situation.

Therefore the DWP will look into it and see what they think.


Yes that is what I have been trying to say from the start, unfortunately the mistakes I have made she will be held accountable for. I am well aware of how this situation looks particularly in the eyes of the DWP. Some will believe some won't that's fair enough you do not know us and our situation. I am fully prepared for the DWP to come back with a "guilty verdict" with the balance of probability that they work with. Yes I probably have been holding fraudulent and void insurance for the last year but at least that is not an issue now. I think we have established that I have been incredibly stupid here but please give me some credit that I would be clever enough to come up with a grand plan where I would spend good money on rent at a perfectly good address that I could use to have my mail sent to, that I would execute it properly in order to get away with the deliberate fraud.

rw17

As for holiday sleeping arrangements, we had an apartment with 2 separate sleeping areas. I slept with my oldest child in one and my sister, ex and younger child slept in the other. They did ask about going on holiday in the interview but they didn't go into that much detail.

FBaby

Your sister joining you on the holiday DOES point to you being a family. Your statement that you couldn't look after them alone so she came too doesn't hold. Holes in your story. Did she pay half? When you say you stay overnight when she goes out do you have texts that clearly says ' hi X going out with my friends next Friday night. Would you mind coming over and if I'm late you can sleep on the sofa. Much appreciated' or will the texts be more along the line of ' hello darling been missing you will you come over next Friday? I'll cook us a nice dinner and we can have a cosy evening and maybe you can stay the night'

It's really not that hard to evidence you're not in a relationship with someone.

rw17

As much as I love my kids I've got to be honest that a holiday on my own with 2 youngsters doesn't sound like much of a holiday. Like I've already said should we have to share the times that we spend with them just because we are separated. I don't see where your hole is? She paid half yes. Which will be evident in her bank statements, I believe they didn't produce these in the interview which they seem to do a lot because there was nothing suspicious in them. Haha they are unlikely to find lovely texts such as that from the last year that we were together let alone since we split. As you know we see each other almost daily so anything like that would have most likely been said in person. Your correct there will be many texts that could evidence that we are not a couple but they will not be looking so deeply into it if they already think they have enough evidence of guilt. But I suppose those are things that we can use if/when it comes to an appeal.