Benefit interview

[LaurenAmmelliax]

My sister in law and her partner have not long got back together, he hasn’t been living there for over a year now and as they’ve decided to give things a go started staying over and moving his things in last week. She didn’t want to ring the benefits and let them know until he had 100% moved in because she didn’t want her money to be stopped and then it not work and not have any money for 6 weeks while she had to do another claim. She got a letter the other day from the council asking her to attend an interview as they’ve “received information her partner is living with her” and yet she’s claiming housing benefit and council tax support. It doesn't say an interview under caution so Shes confused whether it's just to get her side or whether she's being investigated for fraud? He’s only been “living there” for just about 2 weeks now. She said she’s happy to pay back what she owes but she’s really worried that they’re going to ask for loads of money back when they haven’t done anything wrong. She had even spoken to her landlord and asked to add him to the tenancy last week and was going to sort it all out as soon as he’s moved in. None of the bills are in his name, his work address is registered to his family’s where he’s been living, so there’s nothing that would show he’s been living there for longer than she says, his wages get paid into her bank simply because he has no account and they’ve always been civil. She’s not one to try and scan and is so scared she’s going to get into a lot of trouble and no ones going to believe her. Her partner hasn’t even taken paternity leave for their child because they had to be living together to claim it and they wasn’t.

Does anyone have any advice on questions they might ask and how she can prove that he’s not been there long. As she said she’s happy to pay back the money she may owe but doesn’t want to be accused of doing it for a long time when she hasn’t x

He has only been there 2 weeks as I previously said. She has not lied about the fact he hasn't been living there longer.

Sorry I'm not saying she's lying just to be upfront whatever the circumstances. It just seems strange he's been back 2wks and they've cottoned on. Unless the landlord informed council due to the notification to add him back on to tenancy? Well either that or incredibly nosey neighbours! Hope she sorts it out easily.

I hope so as it really has shaken her up, she's just very scared she's going to be in a lot of trouble. I told her she should've notified them when they was thinking of doing it and she knows that she should have.

I think the biggest problem is going to be the wages being paid into her bank account. Regardless of the reason, this is a very unusual arrangement and difficult to make a plausible argument for, especially as he is actually living with her. I wouldn't be surprised if they tell her to pay back what she has received quite far back.

It may well be that this activity on her bank account was brought to their attention through routine checks and they've been on to her for much longer. It would be all a bit Eastenders for the whole thing to have started in two weeks. When I worked in benefits the fraud dept never worked that fast, ever!

When his wages went into her account, how did he access this? Did she give him a lump sum each month or did they both spend using cards as a couple would?