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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To have unwittingly broken the law and be worried.

129 replies

nnnnnnnnnnn · 09/09/2020 01:00

I am Irish and was living and working in England the past 8 years. Anyway after covid hit , I lost my job[was only on temporary contract after taking some leave from October- Feb to do a bit of travelling] and signed on universal credit. This was fine and I stayed in UK but in mid May a shock tragedy happened at home and my much younger brother [only 11] was killed in an accident and so I returned home suddenly. The last few months have being hectic and I decided to stay in Ireland to help parents[dm was understandably in a very bad mental place] as I am their only daughter[was only me and departed db in family] and I returned to work full time here in start of August. Anyway today I was tying up loose ends in UK as I hadn't got around to it with all the upheaval in the last few months and was cancelling direct debits/UK phone etc and checking my English emails I'd not checked in months when I realised I hadn't cancelled my benefits before I'd left. I haven't actively used my English bank account since May when I left. Hand on heart and on my brother's grave, I had totally forgot all about it with everything that had happened and I instantly contacted them and told them I was leaving UK and to cancel it. I know I am in a different country but I am worried I could get in trouble for this. BTW I will not be keeping the money from this[it's not a big amount but not the point] and it will be donated to charity but aibu to think the UK benefits system could track me down here and get me in trouble for my oversight if they discovered this or seen I'd been working here in August and claiming there? I already suffer from bad anxiety [on meds] and now this has made me even more anxious.

OP posts:
ChickenwingChickenwing · 09/09/2020 01:24

@Doyoumind

I'm still confused. Surely if you don't complete your journal each month you don't get the money paid in.

This is interesting.

Original poster
nnnnnnnnnnn · 09/09/2020 01:26

''I'm still confused. Surely if you don't complete your journal each month you don't get the money paid in.''

well clearly not in my case.

OP posts:
alexdgr8 · 09/09/2020 01:32

you need to be honest.
you need to repay the money.

Original poster
nnnnnnnnnnn · 09/09/2020 01:34

ok I'll do that. I don't want the money. I'll call them back tomorrow.

OP posts:
Butterer · 09/09/2020 01:35

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Poulter · 09/09/2020 01:35

Well done OP. It's the obvious answer to pay it back. You'll feel so relieved to not worry about it any more. Your DP is giving stupid advice.

So sorry for your loss. Flowers

Butterer · 09/09/2020 01:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Saracen · 09/09/2020 01:38

In general if you come forward, having no reason to believe they knew you'd claimed when you weren't entitled, you'll be fine.

Don't keep quiet. Your silence will indicate that you committed deliberate fraud. Then there will be trouble if they find out.

Giving the money to charity does not get rid of the problem. You need to pay it back.

You sound very anxious about this. Stop making excuses to avoid the problem. If you don't deal with it, the worry will always hang over you. Contact them and get it sorted now.

mrschocolatte · 09/09/2020 01:39

Hi Op, whatever you do, DO NOT donate the money. Their first priority is reclaiming any overpayment so give it back and be honest about your mistake. If you do this it is unlikely they will take any further punitive action against you and you can carry on as you are without the worry they will come after you for this.

Saracen · 09/09/2020 01:39

Sorry, cross posted. Glad to hear you are going to sort it out. You'll feel so much better once you've dealt with this!

Lonelybattle · 09/09/2020 01:40

Just tell the truth and ask what they need you to do. They'll require a refund of the overpaid amount and any investigation won't go further than confirming the information that you give them. As pp mentioned, ask about the date and tell them you think you may have made a mistake as to the date of change of country of residence. I've moved country several times and have never had any bother once I've been upfront with the details and honest in my queries.

They do appreciate evidence so be overprepared with proof of end of previous employment, travel, ID, addresses, bank statements and anything else you have that might support you.

Original poster
nnnnnnnnnnn · 09/09/2020 01:43

''They do appreciate evidence so be overprepared with proof of end of previous employment, travel, ID, addresses, bank statements and anything else you have that might support you.''

Why didn't they ask for that once I'd signed off today?

OP posts:
Butterer · 09/09/2020 01:44

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Poppyisa · 09/09/2020 02:05

Nothing to add, but I’m so sorry about your little brother. 11 is no age. Condolences to your family.

WanderingMilly · 09/09/2020 02:10

You won't be prosecuted, you haven't purposely tried to claim illegally. But you have had an oversight, you need to tell them in order to correct it as they can trace people, even overseas. Keep the extra money separately as at some point they will ask for it back, you would be allowed to pay it back in instalments if you ask them. If you start lying it won't end well.

Torvean32 · 09/09/2020 02:58

What ComtesseDeSpair is accurate.
Call them and say what happened. Repay if that's what the say and it will be sorted.

Gingerkittykat · 09/09/2020 03:06

Check the rules about travelling to another EU country and claiming UC, it may be that you would have been entitled to claim it for part of that period. Ultimately you need to be honest and pay any money back.

I'm surprised you have not had phone contact, my DD signed onto UC at the end of June and had fortnightly calls and was told to jobsearch even though they knew she would be entering education in September.

GammyLeg · 09/09/2020 03:09

I'm really sorry about your brother. How devastating for you and your poor parents.

Flowers
fatgirlslimmer · 09/09/2020 04:37

Which benefits are you talking about? Are you in Southern Ireland?

agonyauntie2020 · 09/09/2020 04:38

Bit confusing. OP says "I'd not checked in months when I realised I hadn't cancelled my benefits before I'd left. I haven't actively used my English bank account since May when I left. "

So you only just realized, right now, that you'd been paid benefits.

But then you say "They called me in April and were supposed to call me in early May but cancelled and didn't call again. When I rang df in UK earlier, she said they hadn't rang her since June."

So you've had a conversation with df about it then?

It's all a bit confusing. But the idea of giving money that's not yours to charity is all wrong. I second PP's opinions. Ring or email them, specify the date you left, gather your evidence, apologize and tell them you are ready to repay. They don't jail ppl for what you've done.

However, they also probably don't forget and if you just keep on with what you've said already you have flat out lied and it will keep bothering and worrying you. Fess up and fix it.

Yeahnahmum · 09/09/2020 04:40

You won't be prosecuted, you haven't purposely tried to claim illegally. But you have had an oversight, you need to tell them in order to correct it as they can trace people, even overseas. Keep the extra money separately as at some point they will ask for it back, you would be allowed to pay it back in instalments if you ask them. If you start lying it won't end well

This

nachthexe · 09/09/2020 04:49

‘I instantly contacted them and cancelled it’ and yet you can’t get in touch with them to tell them you actually left the country earlier and need to repay it because everywhere is shut? Huh.
Look. Call them, explain you had a family emergency and ask how to pay it back. The end. No charity nonsense (because you’ll end up having to pay it back anyway, so if you’ve given it away you’re fucked.)
A few months at this point and if you fess up and repay it no one will care. Give it a few months when they are chasing everyone for eligibility for everything after handing money out for months? It’ll be a bit more hardball.
Sort it now, pay it back, and forget about it.

HeronLanyon · 09/09/2020 05:03

Hi op. Good to see your latest update.
As it’s not your money doing anything with it other than keeping it in full ready to pay back would be an offence so it’s good you’ve given up the idea of giving it away.
I’ve found banks/government dept etc phone advisors have actually been more helpful than usual during Covid. Once you get through that is (and there can be a wait).
Keep a running note of everything to do with this claim/overpayment including date of calls and what you say and advice given when you make the call. Keep reference numbers of any call / ask for one if they don’t give you one. You just need to have a clear accurate ‘timeline’ of what’s happened with this - something easy to become confused about.
I am so sorry about your brother and family tragedy - that is really tough. Support.
Btw when my lovely old mum died I had weeks on end where I struggled to do the most simple admin jobs (at the very same time as doing really complex executor/solicitor/funeral things) or there would just be one thing I couldn’t face for no good reason which just languished. It’s good you’re now sorting this out.

NotEverythingIsBlackandWhite · 09/09/2020 05:04

Just tell them the truth and repay the benefits. For goodness sake, don't give their money away to charity.

VeggieSausageRoll · 09/09/2020 05:39

Surely it's not that easy to just up and leave? What about your tenancy? Was there no notice period that you had to pay rent on? What about council tax? Presumably your benefit claim included funds towards those? Energy and water supply final bills etc.?