Coronavirus Moving back home with parent, single person Tax, previous address - travelled

Starbright22

I moved out of my apartment some years ago and travelled, I spend most of the year abroad. I've always used my fathers home for mail and HMRC, drivers licence, car etc and whenever i'm in london would stay at varies friends and families houses, including my fathers but mainly stay at my boyfriends.  Due coronavirus i have moved back in with dad, he is receives universal credit and housing benefit and CTR. I am self employed and applied for universal credit using  dads address and I've just gone to change council tax details and will report change of circumstances for him and it asks for previous address, i'm now confused and worried as i don't know whether to just say it as it is, that my previous address is my fathers address although i didnt live there permanently or if i just put my boyfriends (who is full council tax payer, in different borough) or if i just break down everything. I saw a post where is said to leave out previous address, but i feel like that may look like i'm trying to hide something. . Ive got my passport which shows how much i travel.  Im thinking that the most straight forward way is just to use boyfriends address. Please let me know your thoughts. Thank you

pmlindyloo

This is quite a difficult one.
I presume you are completing a change of circumstances for your dad?  Just a quick check that you haven't misread and it says previous addresses for dad rather than you?
So, assuming it is asking for your previous addresses then it is usually where the bulk of your personal possessions are - so clothes etc.
This is muddled because your official documents are registered at your dad's but I believe this would be acceptable as you travel a lot and it is a c/o address for this purpose.
If you put your dad as your previous address then this will truly muddy the waters as he should have had a non dependent deduction made from his Universal Credit as well as losing the single person's discount on his council tax.  (By the way, is your dad of pension age or disabled?)
Probably your boyfriend's address would be the correct one although check whether he is getting the single person's discount.
I am also wondering whether you could be classed as a visitor both for your previous temporary visits and your current visit to your dad.
Would be interesting to find out what CIS ( a regular poster who worked in council tax) thinks.
I shall try and look for some legislation for your particular circumstances.  Have often did you return to the UK and for how long?  Are you staying with your dad because he is vulnerable?  For how long?

Starbright22

Thanks for that. yes its difficult one. My dad was concerned that declaring myself  and applying for UC would be messy but i went ahead anyway, as my attitude was i'm entitled to it and i'm here now so they need to know im moving in, but now im really worried, i know i don't need to be, but its so complicated, although as i say, i stay with friends and family and have another address where ive stayed most of the time n my passport with stamps showing when i've been away. 

 I've seen a few posts where people use parents or friends addressess for everything and even registered to vote from (which im not)  but aren't living there so i know its ok to do and this has been my situation for a few years now and ive never thought twice about it.

I just want to get this sorted asap, i really probably should have  made the changes on dads account first (maybe), but it says to let them know in 21 days or as soon as possible, so i'm in the time frame and i think that in this coronavirus period, they may be more understanding if its a little late.. . 

Dad isnt a pensioner quite yet, does require some care but not officially.  I'm going to be here for the rest the year and see how it goes, which is why i was looking to change council tax details. I want to live with him for a while and spend some time in family home.     

 When i applied for self employment universal credit a few days ago i used Dads address, as, obviously like you said everything is registered here, so had to go through the gov verify app. 

Then i went to his universal credit accounts to declare im here and to put in date the few weeks before (when lockdown started) and thought id do council tax first, that's when i was asked for my previous address.... and then i realised its a bloody mindfield no wonder why dad was saying forget it lol

 Boyfriend is double checking his council tax as i don't want to mess him up either, im sure its fine, but if anything he has another property that i've stayed at which is multi occupancy so i could always use that and i travel for months at a time and when in london i go there too. 

     My concern is i don't want to mess up my dad. i've used dads address on universal which is currently being processed and then i could be use boyfriends on council tax. now im wondering if i should of used boyfriends for UC but it wouldn't of registered me i thought (anyway its done now).

I didnt put C/O on the universal i just put the date i moved out of my apartment and started using the address. 

  I think that as my application was made last week for UC im in good time to report Dads change of circumstances with me moving in especially in this Covid season, Id expect this is happening to alot of people. 

ALSO, On my application for self employment universal credit (dads address) i ticked living with parent, im now thinking that was the wrong option as he doesn't own his home, it wasnt very clear... maybe im overthinking . do i need to go back and change that? 

Thanks for you help so far pmlndyloo, just talking it out is easing my mind.. i couldnt sleep at all last night  

TELLIT01

Starbright22 said:

 i went ahead anyway, as my attitude was i'm entitled to it

If you have been spending most of the year abroad you may not be entitled to benefit.  It will depend on how long you have been back in the UK.  The council needs to be informed because your father will no longer be entitled to CTR as he isn't living alone.  Providing a different address as your home is fraud.

CIS

Would be interesting to find out what CIS ( a regular poster who worked in council tax) thinks.

The previous address is unlikely to be an issue but you can never say never - if it had been then it's likely the council data matching would already have picked it up. Some councils query everything, some don't.
The council need to be informed you are now resident there as your 'sole or main residence' however.

Starbright22

CIS said:

Would be interesting to find out what CIS ( a regular poster who worked in council tax) thinks.

The previous address is unlikely to be an issue but you can never say never - if it had been then it's likely the council data matching would already have picked it up. Some councils query everything, some don't.
The council need to be informed you are now resident there as your 'sole or main residence' however.

Thank you. I've not completed the council tax form yet or updates to dads details on UC so there's nothing to pick up just yet, other than the fact i've used dads address on universal credit which i believe it ok.. . so if anything guessing that may highlight something.   So my plan is to use the address where i am most of the time in london on the previous address council tax form and if the change if circumstances on dads universal credit asks i can put that address there as well?. so its basically 2 different addresses floating around.  Maybe it would be helpful to write a letter to them advising them of the changes in my circumstances.  Was ticking living at parents the incorrect box as i noticed it said i don't need help with housing payments, i thought that was because housing benefit was already being used to cover rent?,  

Starbright22

TELLIT01 said:

Starbright22 said:

 i went ahead anyway, as my attitude was i'm entitled to it

If you have been spending most of the year abroad you may not be entitled to benefit.  It will depend on how long you have been back in the UK.  The council needs to be informed because your father will no longer be entitled to CTR as he isn't living alone.  Providing a different address as your home is fraud.

TELLIT01 said:

Starbright22 said:

 i went ahead anyway, as my attitude was i'm entitled to it

If you have been spending most of the year abroad you may not be entitled to benefit.  It will depend on how long you have been back in the UK.  The council needs to be informed because your father will no longer be entitled to CTR as he isn't living alone.  Providing a different address as your home is fraud.

Thank you. Ive been here since jan, was meant to be somewhere else now for a few months now, . my trips are more like extended holidays im in and out. The other address is where i am mainly , as i said i also stay with friends and family but dads is my where my bank, HMRC and things are registered and go

Starbright22

CIS said:

Would be interesting to find out what CIS ( a regular poster who worked in council tax) thinks.

The previous address is unlikely to be an issue but you can never say never - if it had been then it's likely the council data matching would already have picked it up. Some councils query everything, some don't.
The council need to be informed you are now resident there as your 'sole or main residence' however.

sorry, did you mean using my dads address as previous address?

Lanzarote1938

Are youregistered fot income tax, NI?

Starbright22

Lanzarote1938 said:

Are youregistered fot income tax, NI?

im registered with the HMRC as self employed. I've not paid voluntary  NI, in a while as i wasnt earning much, however i did pay NI when employed. These are all at dads address 

Starbright22

What is the worst case scenario? 

Im feeling optimistic weirdly and will challenge it, if it comes to it. 

Im a little worried that i put my moved in date on universal credit as the date i moved out of my apartment, its just an automatic thing i do, and thought it was ok as thats the date i started using the address for my letters etc

im wondering if that will clash with the date i put of change of circumstances. or if it doesn't make a difference as thats just to check my address against whats on the system

Im thinking the most important thing is for me to change the details, ASAP as its actually now probably 28days,  i'm here now and staying and its better to contact them before they contact us! Im not trying to hide anything 

then Dads benefits will go down, right ... Anyone know how much by? 
then if i get universal i can use that and apply for housing b if need be i think?

If for some reason i don't get the benefit and dads money changes, and they challenge us im guessing they calculate what they perceive as over payments. 

I just feel like if i do everything right, what can go wrong....

but part of me is starting to wish i just did the change of circumstances and left the universal credit claim