In thinking that this is benefit fraud?

[Cbeebiesmum]

Hi I'll try and keep it short, but my friend, I say friend but she doesn't feel like one at the minute. Basically her and her partner are constantly splitting up an then getting back together, they have three children together and I've had a feeling for some time that they've been fiddling the system. Anyway they both own a house together but she moved out a year ago into smaller rented accommodation, he moved back to his fathers house and they got someone in to rent their house.

My fronds was getting a substantial amount in housing benefit and has now been offered a council house which she moves into next week. The amount of HB will cover all of her rent, the tenant will be paying their mortgage and her "ex" is living completely rent free at his fathers!

Now correct me if I'm wrong but I didn't think people were entitled to claim housing benefit on a rented property if they already owned a property? But one of our mutual friends has said that you can if you can prove your house is in negative equity therefore you are unable to sell, does anyone know if this is right?

I'm only asking as I think she is taking the absolute pee! She is very much still in a relationship with the father of her children, she still sees him everyday plus they go on family holidays and days out yet they conveniently live apart.They have been on and off for over 10 years and she has always been out for what se can get when it comes to benefits, ie credibly spacing her children apart so she didn't have to come off income support and I believe what they're doing is completely wrong, an I don't know how much longer I can continue to be around her without saying something x

I shall get down on my knees in front of Cbeebies and grovel at her feet, if only we could all be like her.

I should have taken on more hours at the taxi office to scrape by a living, what on earth was I thinking trying to better myself and gain a profession that would give back to society as well as improve mine and my children's lives.

Why, why can't I be a super human like Cbeebies. Won't somebody think of the children, or at least the bitter middle classes who can't stand anyone who gets help from the state.

I would be amazed if the OP has't already reported "her friend"

I'll think of the children Jaqueline. While I'm sat on my arse in my flat paid for by housing benefit despite being able to work. because who cares that I'm raising an 11 month old and studying in the evenings, right?

I'm a single parent, I had a 4 bed house 300 miles from where I live now, that was rented out. Rent didn't cover mortgage but only slightly short.

I got housing benefit as single parent, as mortgaged house was former marital home but in negative equity.

I told HB all this and was still accepted.

Mind your own I say!

Well, gosh, hang on a sec. I can't afford to go back to college so that I can make a difference in society, because I need to pay my mortgage.

But, all I need to do is rent my place out, pretend to separate from dh, and I can go back to uni as well?

Awesome.

Where do I sign up?

I've been trying to do this on my own for too long. I hadn't realised that all I needed to do was turn up at the benefits office and I could have gone back to uni years ago, it would save me sticking in a dead end job so that I can pay my own way. Gee.

It's interesting, this 'need' for welfare stuff, eh? Very complex.

'Need' is a funny old thing.

Cbeebies you a getting a really rough deal on here.
I see where you are coming from and I agree with you that your 'friend' is behaving in a terrible way.
It really is morally wrong.

Because cbeebies mum he has got his own living costs.

The single claimant thing depends upon how many nights PW he stays there.

My point is: she didn't make the system.

Sorry madwoman but who is pretending to separate from their husband to claim benefits and go to uni?

I'm pretty sure you wouldn't be stupid enough to be suggesting that I have pretended to separate from my ex husband for the purpose of claiming benefits. No of course not, no one is that much of a cunt are they?

Also just to point out that my earning potential prior to attending university would have meant I would have been relying on top up benefits until my children left home and costing the state a small fortune. As it is I won't be entitled to anything as of September. Win, win as far as I'm concerned.

I also worked for many, many years prior to having children and paid in to the state system just like everyone else.

madwoman, if you're under the impression that either myself or Jaqueline willingly packed in our jobs and fabricated a separation in order to go to uni, your name is apt.

I can't speak for Jaqueline but I was made redundant from my well paid job while on maternity leave, shortly after fleeing an abusive relationship. Life dealt me a shitty hand and I played it.

And frankly, it's people like you who make me ashamed to say I'm receiving benefits for the first time in my life. I've paid in since I was legally old enough to do so, only stopping last year. Why the fuck should I have had to pay in a large sum every month for all that time if when I go through hard times, I'm told to go and accept any job I physically can, minimum wage or not, simply because someone fortunate enough to be in work can't better themselves too?

Crack on Madwoman. It's a piece of piss studying with kids, living on a student bursary and having nowt by HB and CTC and CB to see you through the holidays. Really, knock yourself out. Childcare grows on trees obviously as TC doesn't cover for students and they don't stop your £65 a week bursary if you miss a day. Not at all.

HB £300 - all on rent
CB - £20 ish
CTC - £40
Student Bursary £65 a week only when college is in session.

£125 a week for an adult and child to feed, clothe, cover utilities, travel, childcare, 75% of council tax.

It's a right laugh. And if you get CM the college will deduct as income. Sign up on Monday!

Bair ????

I was never better off than when I went to Uni! I got the loan + bursary which was £3,200 three times a year.
I still got tax credits of £90 a week.
Full housing benefit
No council tax because I was a student.
Oh and you could get hardship funds if needed from Uni.

Most of the older homeowning single parents got major renovations done on their property.

That's as a full time college student here Reveal. If I were a single parent with one child. HB is full, but only a discount on Council Tax.

Maybe Uni is easier financially as more generous bursaries, but I'm doing a trade course so it's college. Without sounding hugely cheeky, is it a while since you studied? I ask as next year the bursary will be 3/4 of what it is now for students due to cuts.

I gave the scenario of single parent as madwoman implied it would be easy to do so. I have a DH so we get by slightly easier than the scenario above. CB and CTC is as I stated but he has an income of £65 a week from his bursary. However Student Union is highly concerned that we'll push the single parents we do have out with the further cuts next year.

We have a single Dad on the course to, he's the RP and is working his backside off to provide a better life for his children. I respect him and other single parents studying greatly as from my personal experience at college it seems they are up against it. He would be better off not working (short term at least).

Sorry, mistyped, he would be better off not studying and staying on the brew. He's going through the short term pain in the hope of a well paid job in August.

Oh I wish Uni was that easy for me financially.

I get £7000 a year bursary roughly
Full tax credits for 4 children
Part housing benefit (as a student you are not entitled to full HB)
Child benefit
No council tax to pay

I top up my student fees by £1500 a year
Top up my rent by £200 every month
Pay childcare of £270 per month (not counting after school club costs)

As you can see per year those 3 payments wipe out all of my bursary.

So we live on tax credits and cb, that's it.

I can't wait to be earning a wage, I will be miles better off. Roll on September

My cousin lives in a council house with his wife and children. They also own the ex council house next door which is mortgage free. They rent this out.
I asked him why don't they live in the house they own so they don't have to pay rent. He told me that his council rent is £125 per week, while the rent he receives for the exact same house next door is £350 p/w. Makes financial sense for him.
He also owns a nice flat elsewhere with a small mortgage which he also rents out.
He does not claim housing benefit for his council house but the rent he recieves is paid totally by HB.

It is all totally legal but just seems crazy to me.

Jacqueline, you should be able to claim up to 85% of your childcare costs -double check with your university.

Thatwas - that is absolutely bonkers . No wonder the welfare state costs the UK so much.

her getting a council house when she already owns one is low as fuk on her part but i dunno if i would report a friend but i would tell her shes a lowlife depriving people in need