Is this benefit fraud?

[ahzixy]

I recently have gotten back together with the father of my kids. We've been seeing each other and he's been staying over at my house. I claim housing benefit.

He doesn't pay towards any of my bills and I don't to his either.

We've always had an agreement between the two of us that he pays £200 per month in child maintenance. That is all he pays to me. In times I have borrowed money like small amounts( but I also do this with my mum and that doesn't tie us financially)

His car is registered at his house, all his bills etc, his work has him as registered at his house.

My name is on my wifi bill, phone bill and I have pre paid metres under my name.

He pays all his council tax etc and gas and electricity which in his one bed flat cost £70 combined but he's paying of a huge debt so he pays £300-400 a month to that.

Things like days out etc or new things for the kids we do go half.

I've also gotten him things through catalog credit like very and Argos since his credit is bad so every other month he will bank transfer money for that but he labels each transfer (I know that doesn't hold much)

We have 3 kids together and he is over often and on his days off takes the kids to and from school.

My close friends would say we are seeing each other but neighbours I exchange polite exchanges would say we are a couple.

I know it's nothing to do with nights spent here it's about finances. I have a lot of proof he pays nothing to my house.

The only thing is I use his Netflix. But before this I used my best friends nextflix too I only changed to his to not lose my place on shows.

The only thing is he's so tight with money even before seeing me he never had wifi. We can prove this also. But to me that looks odd no wifi.

He's also the cheapest person I know with bills. He refuses to have heating on, does washing at his parents house and showers at his gym. Making his bills as low as possible.

My downstairs neighbours told me to my face in April they've reported him living here. Nothing at all came from this so surely it's not fraud??

Is it fraud?? I'm terrified I really don't like this situation and want to get him added asap but we literally couldn't afford to live if he did with his huge debts and until he sells his house.

Honestly? ‘Seeing’ vs. ‘Being a couple’ is just semantics.

If he is looking to sell the house he supposedly lives in, but spends a week at a time at yours going back to his mum’s to do laundry then not only is he is he a complete tightwad but it also sounds like he’s living with you because you’ll put the heating on.

Raise your bar. He’s taking advantage regardless.

My cousin was taken to court for benefit fraud as someone reported that her ex partner (father of her children was living with her). They assessed of the following:
cooking and eating family meals together
going family days out
going on holiday together
social media posts - tagging each other etc
what their friends and family would describe their relationship as

she was found not guilty. The problem you have is that your in a relationship with him. Any from an outsider looking in it can look as if he has his own address / bills - albeit very low amounts which allows him to pay off the debt he has incurred whilst your receiving benefits to cover the living costs. I’m not saying this is the case however it may be viewed as that.

I think phoning for advice is your best bet. I hope you get it sorted

I said I cook for him every time he's over and I've had flat mates the deal is one cooks one cleans the dishes.

But why would an analogy to a flatmate be relevant if he is just a guest in your house as you claim he is? A flatmate is someone who lives with you, by definition.

This thread is interesting because the rules seem particularly vague, bit concerned it could affect me and my DP. We've been in a committed relationship together for 4 years, but don't live together, and won't until the kids are older. We have our own houses, 10 miles apart, and both have children from previous relationships, but none together. I do stay over at DP's house sometimes (less than 3 nights a week though), and obviously we eat together when we are together - whether that's take away, meal out, or cooking at home. I don't keep any clothes or belongings at DP's house, other than a toothbrush.

We don't share any finances, except for going on holiday together, where we split the costs. And cost of food when we eat together. I have lent my DP money in the past, but always on a loan basis and it always gets repaid.

We've never considered that we should be claiming benefits as a couple though, and I'd like to think that the benefits people wouldn't class us as trying to defraud the system. But this thread has concerned me a bit.

I would have thought that having children together is a major consideration in these matters, but it doesn't sound like the benefits people take that as a significant factor?

One of the things that would be asked would be WHY you are not living together, in your case I can see a perfectly valid reason for not as it is not the time until the kids are older.

As I said ages ago, DWP do not stop people having a relationship, they don't stop people staying over at their partners, in your case from what you have said there is no way you would be found to be living together.

I work for UC and not declaring living together with a partner is at the top of the list for fraudulent claims. There isn’t a hard rule but I’m sure you can search the decision maker guidance online. They have entire departments dedicated to investigating this.

It’s difficult to get a grasp on your situation op because you name changed half way through this thread and your updates aren’t high lighted.

However, your situation sounds really sad if I’ve worked it out right!

…You have 3 children together, the youngest just 2 yet in all that time he hasn’t committed to you?

He’s (somehow) got a mortgage despite being in a minimum wage job (?) has run up huge debts and all the while seen you and his dc evicted, in emergency accommodation and on benefits.

Now he’s flitting in and out of your lives, treats your house like a hotel, and you say you’re concerned he “may pack up and leave” at anytime

Does he know or care how concerned you are by him staying over? What is he actually doing to “become a couple/proper family” in the future ?

Will he actually change? Or does this set up benefit him too well?

Its time for him to shit or get off the pot isn’t it?
Hes treating you like he does his mum; he turns up, gets fed, washing done, waited on while keeping his bachelor pad (a considerable asset) all to himself.

Hes benefitting massively while you’re stressed and panicking about jeopardising your benefits, and potentially having to be in dept to the DWP. Is he worried?

im sorry if that sounds harsh and off topic but you and your children deserve so so much better

Hello

A little update on this thread. I finally got through to my local citizens advice.

Brief general information was

• I've recieved no letters from benefits so that could mean they don't have any investigations on me
• my housing officer confirming he didn't live here is good but my housing officer also told them stop reporting this to her if they wish to take it anywhere go to safer communities etc, so they would have stopped reporting to her since she disproved it and moved onto other authorities.

Nothing seems to be against me as of now especially when the housing officer disproved this in March/April when we first ever seen each other again.

Does this sound correct to everyone?

My call back is in 2 weeks for a specialist to speak to me.

She thinks I do not have anything to worry about, it isn't criminal.

She thinks this is a long amount of time for me to have been waiting to hear if anyone thinks he lives here

Does this sound right?