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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Dilemma, on possibly benefits cause of lack of disclosure on personal circumstances

79 replies

thosetalesofunexpected · 04/11/2020 10:49

Hi everyone,first time posting,recent lurker.My dilemma is for a while I have been receiving PiP benefit and universal credit benefit, due to having RA, had to give up my my houshouskeeping job at a well known budget chain hotel nearby,cause of of my health deteriated.
My ex,children's father became my unofficial Carer.
My health has improved thankfully.
Unfornately my children's father's health has reversed,to the extant he was sectioned briefly,still suffers from very severe mental health issues,and has been in an out of hospital with strokes,has recently only just come out,
My dilemma is only recently found out that he has not informed,the energy companies that he had stopped living at his previous address,as he became my unofficial carer,
Do I inform the energy companies that he stopped living there a while ago?at the risk the energy company to validate,check up to see if this is true,at the risk social security will find out and penalise us in some way,benefit wise, cause of lack of disclosure of this infor before, (would social security/H M Agency be reasonabe,so we only pay minimum payments back to them? Or do I leave this infor out to energy company and ullity company obviously don't run the risk of social security being informed,

Would really appreciate if a staff member from social security benefits agency and HM tax Agency could get in touch,with their advice please,

How would our personal circumstances issues,affect my children's father state pension and my PIP benefit and universal credit benefit payments ?
ps any useful advice,infor be appreciated,thanks

OP posts:
Kcar · 04/11/2020 12:48

So your ex lived with you for a year and you didn’t declare this to the benefits agencies, despite you claiming UC? And now you want to know if they’ll find out because of his electric bills not being paid?

Hoppinggreen · 04/11/2020 12:50

I too am confused about the energy bill thing
The problem is OP you said you were living alone but weren’t. Were any benefits or utility discounts (eg council tax) based on the fact you lived alone? If so then you have committed fraud, him being a Carer for you is irrelevant in this case.

CookieClub · 04/11/2020 12:50

@thosetalesofunexpected

Hi All bills,from ulitility bills, are his to do with his address, Just concerned cause of not declaring before hand,benefit wise,our personal cirumstances,(him being,was my unofficial Carer and how,that will impact us and just moving forward to sort out the benefits /ulility bills mess a.s.a.p
Still fairly confused as to why it's a mess tbh.

If he receives a pension...he has money to pay the bills? And they shouldn't be much anyway as he wasn't actually using the address they relate to, it sat empty..correct?

It sounds to me like you're using the term 'unofficial carer' as a guise for unofficial partner, you just didn't want to lose benefits by declaring it and have been caught out...Hopefully I am wrong..!

Kcar · 04/11/2020 12:52

Also I’m confused what it has to do with HMRC and tax? You’re not claiming tax credits, you say you’re claiming universal credit?

viques · 04/11/2020 12:56

Do the local nursing home complex where he now lives know that he owns an empty property or has he used your address? How is he managing to fund this if he can’t even pay the bills on his empty for a year property?

Littleideasbigbook · 04/11/2020 13:02

I think if he has been using your water, energy, food and appliances he has financially benefitted from your benefits for a year, which is fraud.

You have two choices - he pays his bills and you say nothing or you tell them and pay back the difference. Nobody here can tell you your choice. However, I very much doubt the energy company will link up with HMRC.

DianaT1969 · 04/11/2020 13:02

Yes, OP, I think you need to separate a few things in your head.
Separate his utility bills from anything else. He should just ask for a final bill from all, cancel and services he wants to cancel, and pay them with his pension. The bills can't be too high as he wasn't using any power/water etc. It should only be standing charges. If he is short of money right now, he can ask them for a debt repayment plan with them.
Your situation is separate from anything to do with his bills and MH problems. You made your claims, as a person living alone, under your name. Getting advice from a disability charity as per the post above, sounds like good advice for a first step.
I think you can leave out the details about his MH problems and housing issues when speaking to them. You had a friend who owned their own property living with you and you failed to declare it. What do they advise.

thosetalesofunexpected · 04/11/2020 13:03

Hi
My ex children father lived with me for 1 year as my unofficial Carer.

His house has been left empty all this time,nobody lives there.

Not sure, if he receives Pension credit including with his state Pension,he might do, I will have to find out,( how will?, what way will could possibly affect his state Pension?

He has just recently come out of hospital again, now back in care nursing home ,(so I obviously assume care nursing home receives his housing benefit /council tax.

OP posts:
Kcar · 04/11/2020 13:05

If he owns his house, how is he getting housing benefit?

Kcar · 04/11/2020 13:06

do you mean the care home receive his council tax? That makes no sense.

Kcar · 04/11/2020 13:06

*what

GroundAlmonds · 04/11/2020 13:08

You didn’t reconcile as a couple though? Didn’t get back together? So there is no issue with DWP, is there?

Lots of posters are - wrongly- assuming that because he moved in with you temporarily in a platonic, caring capacity, you should tell DWP you became a couple again. That’s not the case unless you did actually reconcile and it doesn’t sound as though you did.

Orangeblossom7777 · 04/11/2020 13:09

I suppose the main thing is that the situation now matches the real situation do you think- not sure, it sounds complex

Maybe you need a benefits advisor for example Mind or CAB might be able to help sort things out

PlanDeRaccordement · 04/11/2020 13:09

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz

If he was your ex and helped care for you then how is it benefit fraud?

The OP received a premium in her benefits due the fact that she lived alone with no carer.

Yet for a year she did not live alone, but had a live in carer. She did not declare this, as she ought to have.

Well, the OP says she received the severe disability premium, but she also said she is on UC and there is no severe disability premium paid under UC. So whether she actually received any money for living alone and disabled is not known. She needs help from someone who can go through her affairs with her in detail during an hours long interview.
PatriciaPerch · 04/11/2020 13:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

PatriciaPerch · 04/11/2020 13:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Orangeblossom7777 · 04/11/2020 13:14

Why don't you tell the energy places of the new care home address if you are worried?

Orangeblossom7777 · 04/11/2020 13:15

In case it helps we get a premium on PIP with tax credit and that is still fine that we live together as a family. I guess same with UC

aztecnik · 04/11/2020 13:16

Just leave it OP. You haven't done anything wrong.

Kcar · 04/11/2020 13:16

I don’t think you get the disability premium on UC - I’m on tax credits and I get it but I think I’d lose it if I went on to UC.

whoareyouIwonder · 04/11/2020 13:19

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

thosetalesofunexpected · 04/11/2020 13:23

Hi
His house,he owns has allways sat empty.
No definitely not using the word unofficial Carer as a guise to hide behind in that way at all.
We split up a long time ago,but cause we have grown up children together,we have kept in touch,but i often wish, regret it being that way, as he because there is quite significant age gap between us,he has been and allways has been a Control freak and very emotional abusive.
I just didn't have enough emotional support to rely on,my family background is very dysfunctional, I was brought up in children's care homes in midlands etc,my family background is like something out of a seriously messed up episode of that Tv show that's been banned Jeremy Mkayale,(i did not to watch it,I have lived it,and still struggling to understand it,but I am feel I am getting more enlightened about how its affected and feel in other ways parts of my life have improved for better on the right track feeling somehow.

OP posts:
whoareyouIwonder · 04/11/2020 13:24

Jeremy Mkayale

Best part of the thread.

Kcar · 04/11/2020 13:24

Since he was so abusive, the best thing you can do is disengage and leave him to sort his own shit out.

ContraIndicated · 04/11/2020 13:26

I think you can safely forget about the year he cared for you. He would probably have been eligible for carer’s allowance, the benefits side of that period is now irrelevant.

There is no need to inform the utilities companies that he lived with you. He has his own house and has got behind with bills due to Poor mental and physical health. Is his move to the nursing home permanent? He will have carers or a social worker looking after his affairs. Inform them that he is behind on bills and owns his own house. The house will probably need to be sold to pay for his care and the state will appoint someone to look after his interests.