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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:
Original poster
Boxedin2431 · 12/12/2025 12:50

I have one account for UC and Child Benefit.
I have one account for child maintenance from one dad.
I have another account for child maintenance for the other dad.

OP posts:
sunshinestar1986 · 12/12/2025 12:49

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?

I wouldn't worry OP.
Maintenance is definitely disregarded.
Just make a not on the bank statement and state child Maintenance
Try and get kids dad to put it in the reference from now, makes things easier to track

FuzzyPuffling · 12/12/2025 12:49

So you have one account DWP know about, and a second account for child maintenance.

What's in the third account and why is it in a different name? That looks distinctly odd to me.

Original poster
Boxedin2431 · 12/12/2025 12:48

Shall I include a years worth of bank statements for each account? And a statement clarifying everything?

OP posts:
PocketSand · 12/12/2025 12:46

Child maintenance is disregarded as income but you still have to declare the accounts it is paid into and declare all accounts.

You only commit fraud by not declaring income and so receiving benefits that you are not entitled to. DWP may think you have not declared the accounts to try to hide additional income that counts toward entitlement and ask for statements going back longer but it will all be sorted as long as that is not the case.

Just declare the accounts and provide statements for all accounts. DWP will be able to see that you do not have additional income which affects your entitlement to receive UC.

snoopythebeagle · 12/12/2025 12:44

Boxedin2431 · 12/12/2025 12:39

There are no savings, it is all spent every month.
I am sick with worry and cannot wait to get this all above board.

Should I write a statement to put with the bank statements?

It doesn’t matter, you still chose to hide a big chunk of your monthly income.

ComfortFoodCafe · 12/12/2025 12:44

You get asked about bank accounts when you sign up, prepare for them to request further back statements to check things through.

Cosyblankets · 12/12/2025 12:42

Why is one of them in a middle name?

habado · 12/12/2025 12:40

All accounts in your name need to be declared. Child maintenance is disregarded from income BUT if you save it up that's still capital.
You need to declare all bank accounts. If the money was going into child savings and not touched that capital might also have been disregarded. Ultimately if you have capital(savings) between £6000 and £16,000 you'd be entitled to less UC. If you have over £16,000 you won't be entitled at all. So if the money you have that UC weren't aware of affects how much you should've received then you'll need to repay and could face additional penalties

Coffeeandbooks88 · 12/12/2025 12:40

Chiseltip · 12/12/2025 12:38

It is, but you still need to declare the income. You could for example have a very generous ex who gives you 100k a year. It's the non disclosure not the money itself that's the issue.

Show quote history

I don't think she has to declare maintenance.

Dolamroth · 12/12/2025 12:39

It is disregarded as income. You still have to declare the accounts. The balance of said accounts could affect your entitlement.

GAJLY · 12/12/2025 12:39

They might disregard the chikd maintenence, I'm not sure. But I do know you have to give all your bank accounts so they can look into them.

Original poster
Boxedin2431 · 12/12/2025 12:39

There are no savings, it is all spent every month.
I am sick with worry and cannot wait to get this all above board.

Should I write a statement to put with the bank statements?

OP posts:
Coffeeandbooks88 · 12/12/2025 12:39

Sillysoggyspaniel · 12/12/2025 12:30

I spend every penny every month, doesn't make me entitled to benefits 😂

Show quote history

It is disregarded though.

Chiseltip · 12/12/2025 12:38

Boxedin2431 · 12/12/2025 12:29

I thought that child maintenance was disregarded.
Will I get into trouble for this? There are no savings, every penny is spent every month.

It is, but you still need to declare the income. You could for example have a very generous ex who gives you 100k a year. It's the non disclosure not the money itself that's the issue.

snoopythebeagle · 12/12/2025 12:38

Nobody can tell you what will happen - the issue isn’t that it’s only child maintenance it’s that you deliberately chose not to declare it.

Medexpert · 12/12/2025 12:37

Ots disregarded to work out entitlement to IC, but I don't think it is if ultimately, all together, you have more than £16k in the accounts.

NotSayingImBatman · 12/12/2025 12:36

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.

Behave, you daft sod😂

OP, child maintenance isn't included in benefit entitlement, don't worry. Hasn't been for years.

Minty25 · 12/12/2025 12:35

CM is disregarded but accounts still should be declared especially if total savings go over 6k.

ShanghaiDiva · 12/12/2025 12:35

Why didn’t you declare all three bank accounts when you started to claim?

Rictasmorticia · 12/12/2025 12:35

Come clean to tell them that as it does not affect your UC you did not know you had to declare it. Honesty isthmus better option.

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.

Barrenfieldoffucks · 12/12/2025 12:33

It is disregarded I think. However that begs the question if why did you hide it in the first place?

Whereismyfleeceblanket · 12/12/2025 12:33

The point is you had access to the accounts.. So they are classed as your accounts and your money.

gamerchick · 12/12/2025 12:32

Child maintenance isn't included as income for UC. That was binned off ages ago

Just declare them.