I want to know if this is considered benefit fraud

Pollycat

John_Pots wrote: »

He doesn't pay for the council house he lives in. It's not rented. It was given to him by the council 6 years ago after living (with his family) in a temporary council home for 6 years.

This sounds bizarre.

Are councils really so generous with their council houses?

Ames

Pollycat wrote: »

This sounds bizarre.

Are councils really so generous with their council houses?

No. And in the first post the OP says the friend claims housing benefit.

I assume what they mean by 'given' a council house that isn't rented, is that they have a council house and the rent is paid by housing benefit rather than by the tenant.

It was surprising when the 'bedroom tax' came in how many people were shocked because 'I don't pay rent'.

Pollycat

Ames wrote: »

No. And in the first post the OP says the friend claims housing benefit.

I assume what they mean by 'given' a council house that isn't rented, is that they have a council house and the rent is paid by housing benefit rather than by the tenant.

It was surprising when the 'bedroom tax' came in how many people were shocked because 'I don't pay rent'.

The OP also claimed in the first post that the friend claims income support.
But apparently not:

John_Pots wrote: »

Well, maybe not income support but they're getting a lot of money because they're disabled. Sorry again if I'm being rather unspecific.

I'm beginning to wonder just how much the OP actually does know about his friend.
And how much chain-pulling the friend has been doing. :whistle:

John_Pots

No you lot are right. I AM confused! But before reporting anything I would like to know what constitutes a criminal offense and what doesn't. I've already learned, thanks to you lot, that having an offshore account doesn't mean you're not eligible for DLA because the latter isn't means-tested.

Now to the council housing thing. My friend doesn't pay a damn thing. I'm not sure if it's because he's disabled and/or claims housing benefit, but I know he doesn't pay any rent. If council housing means a rent is still payed but not necessarily by the tenant/s, then my friend has clearly been claiming housing benefit this whole time, which is means-tested and therefore his failure to disclose his offshore accounts DOES constitute a criminal offense, namely, benefit fraud.

I'll keep you guys updated when I gather more information. You've been a help even though some of you think this whole debate was a waste of time. I assure you friends, 'tis not.

Mojisola

John_Pots wrote: »

He doesn't pay for the council house he lives in. It's not rented. It was given to him by the council 6 years ago after living (with his family) in a temporary council home for 6 years.

If that’s what he’s told you, he sounds like a fantasist!

parkrunner

Is it half-term?

TELLIT01

A family being in temporary accommodation for an extended period then getting a council house, and the rent being paid by HB, doesn't sound far fetched. It's not unreasonable either that the OP doesn't know the name of the actual benefit being received by the other person. When somebody is receiving money from the state it is support for their income but may not be the benefit formally called Income Support.
When I worked on ESA I would regularly speak to people who referred to their Incapacity Benefit despite having been on ESA for years. In some cases they had never claimed IB but used the term in its generic form. Questions shouldn't be discounted as phoney just because the wrong terminology is being used.
If the OP's friend has managed to get a council house when they have many thousands of pounds in the bank they are almost certainly committing fraud and need to be reported.

Pollycat

TELLIT01 wrote: »

A family being in temporary accommodation for an extended period then getting a council house, and the rent being paid by HB, doesn't sound far fetched. It's not unreasonable either that the OP doesn't know the name of the actual benefit being received by the other person. When somebody is receiving money from the state it is support for their income but may not be the benefit formally called Income Support.
When I worked on ESA I would regularly speak to people who referred to their Incapacity Benefit despite having been on ESA for years. In some cases they had never claimed IB but used the term in its generic form. Questions shouldn't be discounted as phoney just because the wrong terminology is being used.
If the OP's friend has managed to get a council house when they have many thousands of pounds in the bank they are almost certainly committing fraud and need to be reported.

In the circumstances you outline above, I'd say the house is rented but the rent is being paid for by the council.

John_Pots wrote: »

He doesn't pay for the council house he lives in. It's not rented. It was given to him by the council 6 years ago after living (with his family) in a temporary council home for 6 years.

Not this ^^^^

It may be the terminology the OP is using but by using specific terminology that has a certain meaning to other posters, the OP is confusing the issue.

Teasedale

1. Funny use of the term "friend". To me your motivation seems distinctly unfriendly!

2. PIP (a disability benefit) is not means tested.

3. I'm told that there are circumstances under which a LA can decide to buy a property outright and make a gift of it to the "client". I don't know which Act of Parliament this comes under, nor what conditions apply. Though I wish I did.

[Deleted User]

Sorry but this thread seems to be moving away from what this forum is all about, we certainly can't advise on someone broadcasting TV over the internet from the front room of their council house.
OP you and only you can make the decision as to wether you report your "friend" for fraud or not we are not in the possession of all the facts it also seems you aren't either.

For those reasons and only those reasons I'm going to close this thread.