Universal Credit, can you come off then reclaim?

[ThePinkFudgeInTheStreets]

This is not me, this is a family member.

Planning to go abroad for 3 months. On UC, doesn’t work and refuses to saying their too old (they’re only just 60). Has been on UC for around 4 years and also lives in Social Housing.

They seem to think they can get round the sanction rules by closing their UC claim for the 3 months their away then reclaim when they come back.

I think questions will be asked, especially as the trip is costing over £20k but I don’t actually know. I also seem to remember some rules about how long you have to have been in the country in the months before your claim but I'm not sure if I'm misremembering (I also claim UC but my circumstances are totally different as i have a disabled child I'm a single parent to and I work part time)

Does anyone else?

If he's on UC where has he got the £20k from? You're not allowed that much in capital. He needs reporting for fraud

@WTF1974 This is the thing, the family member says the £20k is never going to be in their account, ever. It's going through someone else whose not claiming any benefits.

If he cancels his claim for 3 months then reclaims he will probably be asked what he has been living on for that period.

He needs reporting - your local council or dwp will have a fraud line you can call anonymously

@WTF1974 I think proving it will be difficult especially as they'll be out of the country for 3 months.

Report going abroad for over 30 days in the journal. Work coach will complete a to do called temp absence (not prison)

Claim will be closed as cannot claim while abroad, allowed up to one month, longer in specific circumstances. When back log into claim and report the return.

There might be questions asked, there might not be.

@Allthegoodnamesaregoneffs They plan to completely close the claim to avoid being made to do interviews or courses while away, then plan to reclaim when they come back.

The claim will close anyway after the declaration. No way around that but to make things easier the claim will not completely close dwp side, it will still be on our systems. And as its only 3 months things will start again from where they were and not a new claim right from the very start.

@Allthegoodnamesaregoneffs As I thought they'll get away with it. Not fair but hey, nothing else I can do.

Not necessarily, there may be questions about how they have supported themselves while away, how the trip was funded etc, but in the absence of a fraud report unless something was admitted it probably wouldn't be looked at too deeply.

@Allthegoodnamesaregoneffs They'll just say that friends and family abroad supported them, so yes they'll get away with it.

Not benefits bashing btw as I claim UC myself, it just seems unfair they can do this.

If a fraud report is made, it would likely go to compliance and they can request bank statements, if they are not provided then the claim will be closed

I've dealt with many cases of undeclared capital myself and in each case the fraud report has been genuine

Where is the £20k coming from?
You seem to be saying that your relative is committing benefit fraud but that depends.
Is it inheritance or a gift or something?
If someone else is paying for the whole trip with their own money, it's not fraud. It would only be fraud if your relative had the money in their own name and chose to spend it without declaring it.

What will he be doing about his rent whilst he's away?

@AnotherEmma The money has been gifted to Family Member but will never go into Family Members account, it's going through someone else who doesn't claim benefits. That person is giving Family Member access to their bank accounts to do it.

@SouthCountryGirl They said the housing association have said they can go away for as long as they want, so assuming it's sorted some how.

OK, well that is clearly fraud.
The thing is, your relative will have to tell UC (and the council, if they're also claiming council tax reduction) that they are going abroad for 3 months, and I think they will be asked how they intend to fund the trip and pay their rent and CT while they are away, since both UC and CTR will be suspended. Your relative might be asked to provide bank statements.
It would be much better to declare the £20k, which would mean UC and CTR would be stopped, but then spend the money on rent, CT and other reasonable living expenses, then once it is under £16k they could reclaim UC and CTR (there would be some deductions due to the amount of savings he would have).
Could you encourage your relative to talk to Citizens Advice about his plans? It would be confidential and they would not inform the DWP. They could inform him about the rules and warn him about potential consequences of fraud.
Lastly, he also needs to inform his landlord (council or HA?) that he will be going abroad. He should check his tenancy agreement but I expect he is required to let them know. If he doesn't he may be at risk of losing his tenancy.

Ah sorry had missed your last post about HA permission.

Your family member sounds dodgy A.F

Permission to leave the house unattended for 3 months is not the same as paying rent.

Maybe just mind your own business?

Never ceases to amaze me how much frothing there is about 'benefit fraud' Do people realise it's literally a drop in the ocean compared to what our government etc do everyday.

Read up about how much money is being taken from your taxes by greedy mp's and fat cat bosses.
That's worth getting angry about it op!

Well, obviously. What's your point?

It is totally legal for someone to gift them the trip. If they have inherited the money, for instance, and put it in another person's account in order to hide it from the government, that would not be legal. How has this gift come about?

It's possible to care about both things and both of those things are taking money away from what actually does need funding

Someone willing to report their own family member sounds even worse.

To be honest they are both as bad as each other in their seperate ways