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AIBU?

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Original poster

Have I committed fraud?

586 replies

Boxedin2431 · 12/12/2025 12:25

I am a single mum to three.

I have a UC review and bank statements are due.
I have three bank accounts and two I have not declared.
The two bank accounts I have not declared get child maintenance paid in from my children’s dads, respectively.
I have not had any other income apart from the maintenance and some help from my dad sometimes.
i transfer money between all three.
Two bank accounts are in my birth name, the third is in my middle name.

Am I in trouble when I declare them?

I only have UC, child benefit into the one I have declared.
i have child maintenance into one bank account and another child maintenance into the other bank account.

Shall I include 6 month statement for all three?

OP posts:
KilkennyCats · 12/12/2025 14:15

TeenageSu1cideDontDoit · 12/12/2025 14:11

Because it's literally not! Gifts from family are allowed!

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So monetary “gifts” of any kind plus money received from the child’s own parent; basically any money besides actual earned income have no bearing on your benefit entitlement?
This is literally insane.

WalkDontWalk · 12/12/2025 14:14

KnickerlessParsons · 12/12/2025 12:50

And what's your reason for having three bank accounts, two of which aren't in your "real" name? Sorry OP, it smacks of you wanting to hide money.

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Having many bank accounts is absolutely normal. I have four, each of which serves a different purpose and makes accounting - and tax declarations - easier and clearer. They are not all in the same name, as the name of each reflects its purpose.

It's not a way of hiding money. On the contrary, it's to make it easier to track.

inickedthisname · 12/12/2025 14:14

Have you told them about the maintenance but just not the bank accounts?

They may want you to provide bank statements all the way back to the beginning of your claim. As you said it’s all spent on the kids and never any savings that should be fine, as long as you haven’t been on a “higher income” than whatever the threshold is for your UC.

Bromptotoo · 12/12/2025 14:14

snoopythebeagle · 12/12/2025 14:10

Yep, I do. OP is receiving money from her parents and not declaring it in case it impacts her claim.

What would you call that if not fraud?

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Not fraud.

Are gifts/help from parents listed in Regulation 66 of the 2013 Regs as unearned income?

LakieLady · 12/12/2025 14:14

KnickerlessParsons · 12/12/2025 12:50

And what's your reason for having three bank accounts, two of which aren't in your "real" name? Sorry OP, it smacks of you wanting to hide money.

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A lot of people on low incomes find it easier to manage their money if they have different accounts for different things, eg one for day to day expenses, one for regular expenses like bills and standing orders, and possibly a third for particular purposes, like Christmas, birthdays and replacing essential household stuff as it wears out. This last might also include a bit extra for emergency spending.

It used to be part of my job to coach clients in budgetting and managing money and this helped dozens of people to make sure they didn't run out of money before their next payments are due.

Re the name, that might be a bit more problematic, but not if it's just a different form of their actual name. I have an account that uses a short form of my first name, another with just my initials, and one with my full name. One of the three is still in my maiden name, I've just never got around to changing it.

snoopythebeagle · 12/12/2025 14:13

TeenageSu1cideDontDoit · 12/12/2025 14:10

Depends on how much, few hundred here and there, no. Several grand yes.

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A few hundred here and there could easily add up to several grand though. Until OP comes back to clarify, people shouldn’t be telling her it’s fine not to declare it.

Zov · 12/12/2025 14:13

You know the answer to this @Boxedin2431

charliehungerford · 12/12/2025 14:12

Pereniallyannoyed · 12/12/2025 13:20

WTF. I despair.

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Sorry but I can understand the frustration. Perhaps there should be a point where child maintenance does affect universal credit. If you have a generous high earning absent parent who is paying £2,000 a month to his/her ex partner to support their two children, should the resident
parent also be able to claim the child element of UC ?

AngelicKaty · 12/12/2025 14:12

Sillysoggyspaniel · 12/12/2025 12:29

Yes, given they want to know about your financial situation, not providing information on two thirds of your accounts isn't great.

For the sake of transparency OP should declare all three bank accounts, but given that only child maintenance has been paid into them by two fathers to two of her DC, she hasn't committed benefit fraud because CM is disregarded when calculating UC entitlement (so she won't have received any more UC than she's entitled to).

snoopythebeagle · 12/12/2025 14:12

TeenageSu1cideDontDoit · 12/12/2025 14:11

Because it's literally not! Gifts from family are allowed!

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Yes but you still have to declare it 😬

If they find out she’s receiving cash and not declaring it as part of her income they could easily do a deep dive into her claim.

Bromptotoo · 12/12/2025 14:12

BurntBroccoli · 12/12/2025 14:06

It definitely was for Tax credits - not sure about Universal Credit.

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Income only counts for Universal Credit if it's listed in the UC Regulations 2013.

Child Maintenance isn't liste.

Spousal Maintenance on the other hand is.

snoopythebeagle · 12/12/2025 14:11

AngelicKaty · 12/12/2025 14:09

No it's not, you don't know what you're talking about. Child Maintenance is disregarded for UC so OP hasn't received any more UC than she's entitled to.

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Again, for what feels like the 100th time - I’m not talking about the child maintenance - I’m talking about the money her dad gives her that she hasn’t declared.

TeenageSu1cideDontDoit · 12/12/2025 14:11

snoopythebeagle · 12/12/2025 14:10

Yep, I do. OP is receiving money from her parents and not declaring it in case it impacts her claim.

What would you call that if not fraud?

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Because it's literally not! Gifts from family are allowed!

TeenageSu1cideDontDoit · 12/12/2025 14:10

snoopythebeagle · 12/12/2025 14:09

Receiving it is allowed, yes, but you’re supposed to declare all cash gifts even if they won’t affect your claim.

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Depends on how much, few hundred here and there, no. Several grand yes.

snoopythebeagle · 12/12/2025 14:10

Bromptotoo · 12/12/2025 14:09

You don't understand benefit fraud do you?

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Yep, I do. OP is receiving money from her parents and not declaring it in case it impacts her claim.

What would you call that if not fraud?

WanderlustMom · 12/12/2025 14:10

surreygirly · 12/12/2025 14:08

You are an example of why so many of use hate the benefits culture

Because she hasn’t declared a bank account that she receives child maintenance in .. when child maintenance is disregarded anyway? 😂 she wouldn’t be getting any less UC even if they knew about the CM.

Whereismyfleeceblanket · 12/12/2025 14:10

You can receive 3k a year from family you aren't obliged to declare.

snoopythebeagle · 12/12/2025 14:09

TeenageSu1cideDontDoit · 12/12/2025 14:07

Which is allowed.

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Receiving it is allowed, yes, but you’re supposed to declare all cash gifts even if they won’t affect your claim.

Bromptotoo · 12/12/2025 14:09

snoopythebeagle · 12/12/2025 12:28

Yes, this is benefit fraud and hopefully they throw the book at you for it.

You don't understand benefit fraud do you?

Maddyisqueen · 12/12/2025 14:09

TheFormidableMrsC · 12/12/2025 14:04

I’ll be as rude as I like to somebody who is salivating at the thought of OP being in trouble for doing absolutely nothing wrong. Grow up.

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No salivation here

you are rude

TeenageSu1cideDontDoit · 12/12/2025 14:09

Maddyisqueen · 12/12/2025 14:06

She was talking about her husband for the last few pages

Edited
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I've just checked all 7 of the OP's replies, not once does she mention a husband. She does make reference to her children's dad, nowhere does she say she's married.

AngelicKaty · 12/12/2025 14:09

snoopythebeagle · 12/12/2025 12:28

Yes, this is benefit fraud and hopefully they throw the book at you for it.

No it's not, you don't know what you're talking about. Child Maintenance is disregarded for UC so OP hasn't received any more UC than she's entitled to.

surreygirly · 12/12/2025 14:08

You are an example of why so many of use hate the benefits culture

WanderlustMom · 12/12/2025 14:08

@Maddyisqueeneven is she does have a husband, that doesn’t mean he’s the father of the children she gets child maintenance for

Addictedtohotbaths · 12/12/2025 14:08

Pereniallyannoyed · 12/12/2025 13:26

Because I cannot see how it is fair that someone who has either several children and/or several fathers of children, or an ex who earns loads and therefore is in receipt of significant maintenance should also then receive help from the state, versus someone where perhaps there are two parents not earning loads but just on the threshold where they are not able to claim from the state, and who also cannot afford to have more children as a result.
Seems incredibly unfair to me. Income is income.

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I doubt there are many of those earning significant amounts