Universal credit

[Fred40]

I’ve been claiming benefit for 5 years with too much savings (20k+)
they have requested bank statements which I’ve sent.
Am I in serious trouble
very worried concerned

What has Covid got to do with it?

If the form asks for savings (which I assume it does) and you left it blank despite knowing that you had £20k then you have committed benefit fraud.

I know a girl who was jailed for benefit fraud a few years ago. She just had a new baby, which she thought she would get away with it because of the baby, but no she was jailed. Over Christmas too. She had four uoung kids .Like yourself she knew exactly what she was doing .

So to be clear you lied and fraudulently claimed money from the state.
You know how much savings you have. You will have signed the declarations more than once about your savings.

silver cloud, you won’t have them any more so atleast there’s that.

why would a person with so much money still claim benefits? no sense

Because they want to keep their own money and spend other people's. Benefit fraud isn't a new phenomenon but thankfully it's becoming increasingly difficult for people to falsely claim.

Obviously not difficult enough though...

People on UC are those hard working tax payers.

Shop workers
Bin men
Bus drivers
Delivery people
McDonald's staff
Costa / Starbucks staff

And more and more and more.

Claiming UC does not mean unemployed, that's just a trick the Tories played to demonize the poor int he eyes of the better offs.. and people fall for it...

I’m not doubting anything but I’m hoping they will except the repayment
its easy to throw stones on here and that can cause serious thoughts
im genuinely willing to do what ever is needed

Doesn't matter if you're willing because you have to pay it back either way.

Ignorance is usually not accepted as an excuse

It didn’t stop you falsely claiming money for 5 years while you protected your savings. If you had any integrity or morals you wouldn’t have done that.

You also conveniently haven’t answered about whether you are one of our hard working tax payers getting a top up (or not) either.

How much have you received?

Well you've made yourself a few thousand in savings interest that you wouldn't have had otherwise.

I wonder if that will be taken into account.

Are you claiming to have missed the boxes that say "how much do you have in savings" and where you detail all accounts?

I'm an entirely happy that people's accounts are being checked.

Yes, they will make you pay it back.
As for the person asking how you can not work for 5 years... my step son hasn't worked for 8 years and has been in the 'limited capability to look for work or work related activity' group the whole time so it's easily done.

I’ve filled in the front with clients many times over the years and it very clearly asks about savings and explains that savings over £16k will rule you ineligible unless other factors apply.
Youve committed fraud all you can do is apologise and hope you have enough savings to pay the entire amount back and they don’t press charges.

They ask you when you make the claim what savings you have.
Unless you were migrated from tax credits and were exempt from the savings limit then unfortunately you should not have been paid any UC.
No doubt you will only be asked to pay it all back at some paltry amount over the next few decades.

On your application online even during Covid, you are specifically asked if you have savings, how much and what type. If you had over £16k in savings and deliberately didn't declare it (which is what you did) then you lied and committed fraud.
If you're lucky, you'll have to pay all your UC back, if you're not lucky then you may be prosecuted.
I worked in UC up until 3 months ago so I can categorically say that you deliberately didn't declare your savings. I wouldn't believe you if you said you hadn't realised.

Absolutely, it is made very clear. It was no different during COVID.

And he will have had appointments to check his situation hasn’t changed, and he will have signed periodic declarations that confirm it.

Not lie about savings for 5 years

So glad they're clamping down on cheats like you.

I used to work for DWP . On the claim form it asks for any savings to be declared. I don't understand how you could have missed it. There's also a declaration that you sign to say the information is correct and you will report any changes in your circumstances. Sorry but yes you could be in trouble

At least when they want the money back you've got 20k you can give them straight away.

This sort of thing is rife to be honest and this is why the new government are clamping down on benefit fraud. I currently have a client at work who receives so much in ESA and PIP and doesn't spend it and has now been found out for having well over 16k when he should have reported it once savings went above 6k. They really do seem to be clamping down. I've had a few cases recently where being over the limits has come to light and they always plead ignorance.

They specifically ask about your savings so you can’t plead ignorance.