Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Possible benefit fraud and cms

89 replies

Lalala1 · 01/10/2022 21:02

Posted here for traffic!

I know benefit fraud threads have been done quite frequently some think report some say mind your own business anyway

I'm unsure wether to report this or not as don't know for certain just wanted others views

So not to drip feed this is about my children's father and wife it's not about me being bitter more the principle so ex doesn't see kids at all his choice but contacts me sporadically I went through cms even though I knew he was on universal credit and it would be £7 a week like I said principle he still didn't pay or waited till I txt him and then pay late so he was put on collect and pay it got took from his UC so one month a payment never came so I contacted cms to be told he's not on UC anymore they will investigate to find out why and if he's working that was fine. He then contacted me and I mentioned payments stopped he said aw he messed up told up he was working self employed when he wasn't to get them off his back with interviews and it backfired so his UC claim was stopped Idiot! Anyway I'm confused as far as I'm aware it should have been a joint claim(I'm not interested in her finances) so my question is if it's a joint claim his if wouldn't have been stopped? which now makes me think they were both claiming separately what do people think? He's definitely not claiming anymore and definitely not working so as far as cms are concerned he's got no income yet rents, drives a car as another child living with them so can a married couple claim separately or can he be kicked off the claim alone? Hope that makes sense

I have no worries reporting him for benefit fraud but only if I'm 100% sure

OP posts:
FarmerRefuted · 01/10/2022 21:05

Married couples and couples living together as if they were married need to make a joint claim.

It sounds like either she's claiming as a single person and they're both living on that or he actually is self-employed and is hiding it from the CMS.

fairgame84 · 01/10/2022 21:06

It might be legit.
You can have a joint claim where payment is only made to one person.
DH and I made a joint claim but he doesn't qualify for UC, I do so his claim is closed and mine has continued although some months it's nil award.

BambinaJAS · 01/10/2022 21:09

Mind your own business.

Thehop · 01/10/2022 21:10

Im
matried and pay cms for my eldest who lives with my mum through choice.

my husband supported me and our children when I was not working for a period and (he’s not my eldest dad) and when I wasn’t working cms said they would assume I did and took my earnings from the year before. The whole system is a joke. I honestly don’t know how people get away without paying, they’re like a dog with a bone threatening me with court if am late by a day!

Lalala1 · 01/10/2022 21:12

He's definitely not working self employed and hiding it I'm 100% sure if that he's been an idiot and thought if he told Uc that he was working he then wouldn't get called in for appointments to look for work but it backfired as his Uc was stopped/£0 entitlement hence why cms stopped.

What I don't understand is how that can happen if it's a joint claim? They have a toddler and she works I'm sure so I always wondered why he would say to me the jobcentre were always on his case to find work as he has a child under 3 but I never said anything now this has happened I'm thinking they have to be claiming separately for his UC to stop therefor our child's entitlement stopped

OP posts:
KalvinPhillipsBoots · 01/10/2022 21:14

Have you got nothing better to do? Get a life

Lalala1 · 01/10/2022 21:15

BambinaJAS · 01/10/2022 21:09

Mind your own business.

But it is my business when the only reason our children have stopped receiving something from him is because his claim has stopped but he's still financially ok because they are claiming separately

OP posts:
Brandnewwoman · 01/10/2022 21:16

How old is he and does he have health problems ?..

Lalala1 · 01/10/2022 21:17

fairgame84 · 01/10/2022 21:06

It might be legit.
You can have a joint claim where payment is only made to one person.
DH and I made a joint claim but he doesn't qualify for UC, I do so his claim is closed and mine has continued although some months it's nil award.

Thanks for that information

That's why I said in my op I wasn't 100% sure. I still don't understand him being made to look for full time work before this as they have a child under 3 so therefore I thought one parent doesn't need to look for employment

OP posts:
Lalala1 · 01/10/2022 21:20

KalvinPhillipsBoots · 01/10/2022 21:14

Have you got nothing better to do? Get a life

I have a life thanks raising 2 children solely on my own while working full time. BOTH parents should financially support their children

OP posts:
Babyroobs · 01/10/2022 21:21

Lalala1 · 01/10/2022 21:17

Thanks for that information

That's why I said in my op I wasn't 100% sure. I still don't understand him being made to look for full time work before this as they have a child under 3 so therefore I thought one parent doesn't need to look for employment

It would be a joint claim. The only time that one wouldn't qualify to be on the claim is if they had no recourse to public funds due to immigration status and even then any wages they earn are considered. If they live together they should be on a joint claim and I can understand why you are annoyed that your measley £7 has stopped.

Lalala1 · 01/10/2022 21:22

@Brandnewwoman

He's 30 no health issues

OP posts:
Diegofrompennyburn · 01/10/2022 21:23

Claims for universal credit are made as a unit if you are married or living together. But you have a lot of assumptions in your posts, so the position isn’t clear.

so he’s not paying you £7 a week, for reasons that seem suspicious, yes?

Lalala1 · 01/10/2022 21:32

@Babyroobs

Thanks it's a pathetic amount n to be honest obviously I didn't rely on it but it's the pure principle.

I honestly don't think it's been a joint claim she works in a decent job( don't want to put here incase outing) but she went to uni for it they have a toddler he was in UC before they got together as he's always paid £7 but he's been going to jobcentre for work appointments I know that for sure and he has even admitted to me that he's shot himself in the foot as he only told uc he was now working(even though he wasn't) and now he gets no uc money.

What I'm annoyed about is the only reason he's not been looking for a job to provide for his kids is financially he didn't have to if he was receiving single persons UC amount and she was working and receiving UC for their child then financially they were sorted but now he's not even being made to provide the measly £7 for 2 kids it's a joke

OP posts:
Lalala1 · 01/10/2022 21:34

@Diegofrompennyburn

Yes our children's cms claim is now nil award as Mr xxx has stopped receiving benefits

What assumptions? And I'll explain why I'm suspicious

OP posts:
Babyroobs · 01/10/2022 21:34

Lalala1 · 01/10/2022 21:32

@Babyroobs

Thanks it's a pathetic amount n to be honest obviously I didn't rely on it but it's the pure principle.

I honestly don't think it's been a joint claim she works in a decent job( don't want to put here incase outing) but she went to uni for it they have a toddler he was in UC before they got together as he's always paid £7 but he's been going to jobcentre for work appointments I know that for sure and he has even admitted to me that he's shot himself in the foot as he only told uc he was now working(even though he wasn't) and now he gets no uc money.

What I'm annoyed about is the only reason he's not been looking for a job to provide for his kids is financially he didn't have to if he was receiving single persons UC amount and she was working and receiving UC for their child then financially they were sorted but now he's not even being made to provide the measly £7 for 2 kids it's a joke

Could it be that they do have a joint claim and she earns too much for them to get any UC any more though because of her wages?

Isaidnoalready · 01/10/2022 21:37

Does she work?

The way it works on UC if you do a joint claim one person has to put themselves down as the main carer for the child if she was the main carer he would have been expected to work/look for work (even if she was working unless you change the person registered as the carer)

It's slightly complex

My ex was falsely claiming to live on the streets in reality he was living with his girlfriend and working cash in hand its frustrating he was paying me the £7 a week then he got a real job and refused to update CMO they refused to investigate him working so he got to keep his wages to himself for a year just continuing to pay me the £7 a week now they decide to look at it gave him a new amount he has suddenly had a serious accident at work and might lose his job

My point is you can't make a parent pay if they are enabled by others and unwilling to pay as long as his mom and girlfriend keep bankrolling him he will always be able to dodge payments

Paparazzicrap · 01/10/2022 21:38

His wife's income has absolutely nothing to do with your claim. He could give up work completely, live the millionaire lifestyle on her money and you would be entitled to absolutely nothing

Lalala1 · 01/10/2022 21:40

@Babyroobs

See I thought about that but it doesn't explain him being made to job search 35 hours and attend appointments as he wouldn't need to with her working and then having a 2 year oldHmm I know for certain not an assumption about the jobcentre appointments as he sent me screenshots previously of his journal work search notes to prove he was looking for work to provide for our kids as he told me he wanted to "step up" and I told him I didn't believe him so he sent them

OP posts:
Isaidnoalready · 01/10/2022 21:40

Paparazzicrap · 01/10/2022 21:38

His wife's income has absolutely nothing to do with your claim. He could give up work completely, live the millionaire lifestyle on her money and you would be entitled to absolutely nothing

But it does have to do with universal credit you can be married live seperate and claim as a single person or you can live together and not be entitled due to her earnings if that's the case she won't get anything from him because they were taking it from his UC as he wouldn't pay

Isaidnoalready · 01/10/2022 21:42

Lalala1 · 01/10/2022 21:40

@Babyroobs

See I thought about that but it doesn't explain him being made to job search 35 hours and attend appointments as he wouldn't need to with her working and then having a 2 year oldHmm I know for certain not an assumption about the jobcentre appointments as he sent me screenshots previously of his journal work search notes to prove he was looking for work to provide for our kids as he told me he wanted to "step up" and I told him I didn't believe him so he sent them

If he has claimed to be living as a single person it makes sense he cant be the carer for the two year old if he isnt living in the family home

Lalala1 · 01/10/2022 21:44

Paparazzicrap · 01/10/2022 21:38

His wife's income has absolutely nothing to do with your claim. He could give up work completely, live the millionaire lifestyle on her money and you would be entitled to absolutely nothing

I couldn't care less about his wife's income! So your comment is pointless the only reason I've mention his wife working is because on a joint claim I thought one parent would be exempt from looking for work to care for child and if she was working then that would be him so therefore he would still be receiving UC and our children would still be receiving their measly £7 a week

OP posts:
Lalala1 · 01/10/2022 21:47

@Isaidnoalready

The way it works on UC if you do a joint claim one person has to put themselves down as the main carer for the child if she was the main carer he would have been expected to work/look for work (even if she was working unless you change the person registered as the carer)

Thank you that makes sense although don't understand if that's the case why he wouldn't have put him as main carer for child as she definitely works his issue was they "were on his case to look for work" his words and that's why he told them he was now working but it backfired

OP posts:
Lalala1 · 01/10/2022 21:48

@Isaidnoalready

That's why I'm suspicious that he was claiming as a single person

OP posts:
PicaK · 01/10/2022 21:50

He's obviously claimed fraudulently. I would report them.
The rules around LTAAMC* are really clear. And if you are you have to do a joint claim.
*living together as a married couple