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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 13:20

Idontknowwhy15 · 12/12/2025 13:14

No it won’t. People on benefits are allowed to receive gifts. As it happens, during my review period we received £10,000 from my mother in law which we used to pay off a loan. My reviewer was completely happy about that and didn’t ask any further questions.

Show quote history

Receiving £10k didn’t affect the benefits you were claiming?
What a world we live in 🙄

Pereniallyannoyed · 12/12/2025 13:20

crossedlines · 12/12/2025 12:57

And the child maintenance is disregarded anyway, so you could be receiving thousands a month from your children’s dads and it won’t affect UC.

( ikr - Bonkers! No wonder the country’s down the shitter)

WTF. I despair.

Kirbert2 · 12/12/2025 13:19

Idontknowwhy15 · 12/12/2025 13:14

No it won’t. People on benefits are allowed to receive gifts. As it happens, during my review period we received £10,000 from my mother in law which we used to pay off a loan. My reviewer was completely happy about that and didn’t ask any further questions.

Show quote history

Yep.

Sometimes bigger amounts will be disregarded.

I claim DLA for my son and also the carers element and disabled child element of UC but this takes ages to come through and we received a back payment of about the same amount and it was disregarded because it was owed back pay.

Viviennemary · 12/12/2025 13:18

You should have declared them. Maintenance payments don't count for calculation of UC. However, if those payments accumulate in a bank account and that takes you over the savings limit allowed then your UC will be affected. I'd say yes you have committed fraud by keeping those accounts a secret.

Hammy19 · 12/12/2025 13:16

@Boxedin2431

Just send in as many months' statements as they have requested, for each of the 3 accounts and put a note in your journal saying that your child maintenance is paid into the 2 accounts and then transferred into your main account for daily living expenses.

Child maintenance is completely disregarded so that's not a problem. Did you tell them about it when you made your claim?

InLoveWithAI · 12/12/2025 13:16

This thread 🙄

Don't worry OP. Just declare and provide what they've asked for.

People will open/close bank accounts while on UC and not declare.

Kirbert2 · 12/12/2025 13:16

TinselTitts · 12/12/2025 13:15

"I have not had any other income apart from the maintenance and some help from my dad sometimes."

It's in the OP.

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I managed to completely miss that! 😂

Thanks.

ByeByeDrinker · 12/12/2025 13:15

crossedlines · 12/12/2025 12:55

Many people who don’t get UC tops ups have to spend every penny of their earned income every month just to keep their heads above water. I’m not sure why you think spending it all is relevant?

Because she hasnt got savings - so is explaining that she is under the savings threshold and therefore entitled to the UC benefits

TinselTitts · 12/12/2025 13:15

Kirbert2 · 12/12/2025 13:14

Where does she say she's received money from her dad?

Show quote history

"I have not had any other income apart from the maintenance and some help from my dad sometimes."

It's in the OP.

Idontknowwhy15 · 12/12/2025 13:14

snoopythebeagle · 12/12/2025 13:07

She also received money from her dad - that’s not maintenance and will absolutely count towards her income.

Show quote history

No it won’t. People on benefits are allowed to receive gifts. As it happens, during my review period we received £10,000 from my mother in law which we used to pay off a loan. My reviewer was completely happy about that and didn’t ask any further questions.

ComfortFoodCafe · 12/12/2025 13:14

God so many people are talking shit on this thread, if you have no idea what your talking about then don’t. Your just spreading misinformation.

ilovesooty · 12/12/2025 13:14

Mosaic80 · 12/12/2025 12:56

You need to declare all the accounts but as it’s child maintenance it won’t make a difference. so imo isn’t fraud as you aren’t gaining anything from it, there’s no extra money paid.

Exactly. I don't see why some posters are being so gleeful and unkind.

Mosaic80 · 12/12/2025 13:14

snoopythebeagle · 12/12/2025 13:08

But her dad is also sending her money.

Show quote history

Ah, I read it as the children's dads. I reread and yes, she says her Dad "helps her sometimes" but not sure how much that would add up to or the UC rules on family financial gifts.

TinselTitts · 12/12/2025 13:14

Differentforgirls · 12/12/2025 13:10

I knew it was nosiness!

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Yes and again, why not?

As was your question to me, asking why I was asking 🤷‍♂️

Imagine a world where people actually chat on chat forums.

Kirbert2 · 12/12/2025 13:14

snoopythebeagle · 12/12/2025 13:11

But she’s also received money from her dad which she hasn’t declared.

Show quote history

Where does she say she's received money from her dad?

ComfortFoodCafe · 12/12/2025 13:14

snoopythebeagle · 12/12/2025 13:11

But she’s also received money from her dad which she hasn’t declared.

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You don’t need too! Unless its a substantial sum that puts her over the 6k limit.

Muttley17 · 12/12/2025 13:12

Chiseltip · 12/12/2025 12:33

Yes. You have committed benefit fraud.

You are looking at sanctions, a repayment schedule and possibly a criminal investigation.

They haven’t as child benefit and child maintenance do not affect UC entitlements. Both the CMS and Child benefit depts are overseen by government and tbeyd be well aware that the op is in receipt of them. All the op needs to do is provide the details of the other two bank accounts existing. Hiding them would look suspicious when in fact they are only for cms and cb payments. The Gov would only be concerned if savings were £6k+

MyDeftDuck · 12/12/2025 13:12

You must declare all counts, in your proper name or otherwise. Not doing so is fraud and is also unfair as you might be getting benefits that you’re not entitled to.

snoopythebeagle · 12/12/2025 13:11

Rosebud987 · 12/12/2025 13:08

Child maintenance is disregarded. You haven’t done anything wrong. They don’t ask you for all of your bank account information they only ask you for your savings info and you have none. Just give them all the statements for all accounts.

But she’s also received money from her dad which she hasn’t declared.

Differentforgirls · 12/12/2025 13:10

TinselTitts · 12/12/2025 13:09

Why not?

I think the thread police need to consider just how empty Mumsnet would be if we only posted things that actually matter, rather than questions posted out of curiosity.

We'd all be tripping over tumbleweed.

Show quote history

I knew it was nosiness!

TinselTitts · 12/12/2025 13:09

Differentforgirls · 12/12/2025 13:06

Why ask then?

Show quote history

Why not?

I think the thread police need to consider just how empty Mumsnet would be if we only posted things that actually matter, rather than questions posted out of curiosity.

We'd all be tripping over tumbleweed.

ByeByeDrinker · 12/12/2025 13:09

Child maintenance isnt counted. You need to give statements for all three. They dont need to "throw the book at you" as you are entitled to the benefits, and are not over the savings threshold if you are spending it each month.

I am not sure why you have a bank account in your middle name?

snoopythebeagle · 12/12/2025 13:08

Mosaic80 · 12/12/2025 12:56

You need to declare all the accounts but as it’s child maintenance it won’t make a difference. so imo isn’t fraud as you aren’t gaining anything from it, there’s no extra money paid.

But her dad is also sending her money.

Rosebud987 · 12/12/2025 13:08

Child maintenance is disregarded. You haven’t done anything wrong. They don’t ask you for all of your bank account information they only ask you for your savings info and you have none. Just give them all the statements for all accounts.

snoopythebeagle · 12/12/2025 13:07

museumum · 12/12/2025 13:03

So much misinformation on this thread!

  1. should she have declared the accounts? Yes. Not doing so much trigger more investigation. But...
  2. child maintanance does not count as income so doesn't affect how much you were paid. And..
  3. you say you need to spend it all and don't have accumulated savings so the amounts in the account wont affect how much you were paid.

So, you have not fraudulently received extra money. But you might have to undergo more investigation to prove that.

Edited

She also received money from her dad - that’s not maintenance and will absolutely count towards her income.