Have I committed fraud?

[Boxedin2431]

I am a single mum to three.

I have a UC review and bank statements are due.
I have three bank accounts and two I have not declared.
The two bank accounts I have not declared get child maintenance paid in from my children’s dads, respectively.
I have not had any other income apart from the maintenance and some help from my dad sometimes.
i transfer money between all three.
Two bank accounts are in my birth name, the third is in my middle name.

Am I in trouble when I declare them?

I only have UC, child benefit into the one I have declared.
i have child maintenance into one bank account and another child maintenance into the other bank account.

Shall I include 6 month statement for all three?

I didn't say she was commiting fraud. I said they asked me about the accounts I was transferring the money in and out of. Oh yes, I forgot I had those accounts...isn’t very helpful. I forgot I had a Help to Save account and they picked up on that. You are meant to give details of all of your bank accounts and savings and ISA's and whatever else. That's the point of the check.

This is illuminating. I’ve just had a look and, somewhat unbelievably, if you receive UC and CM, the CM doesn’t count as income and your UC is untouched.

This doesn’t seem fair. If your children are being supported by your exes, why should the taxpayer also support them in full on top? And what about parents who never had a partner - they just get UC and not necessarily CMS.

I think you should declare your additional accounts anyway and also the money your father gives you.

But what do I know? I’m just an additional-rate tax-paying mug who goes out every day to support this circus!!! 😂😱

And with all your account management skills, OP, perhaps you should get a job? Asking for a friend …

You don't need to declare cash gifts. Only if it takes your capital above £6k.

Do you think someone should log into their UC journal to tell them that an aunt sent them £20 for their birthday?

What's not fair is the absent parents who get away with not paying CM.

For some reason, the government won't take it on. If absent parents were pulled over the coals and forced to tip up, then it wouldn't have needed to be changed.

She is a single mum to 3 kids. She is pretty busy looking after them.

Gosh, maybe next time you could pay back the taxpayer? Just a suggestion …

That makes no sense. She would have still been in debt.
Paying off debt is not a deprivation of capital.

But I think you are just being a bitch and trolling. Get your kicks elsewhere.

Indeed they don't.
I was referring to those whose uc benefits will be the same as those who get cms also

You do know that millions of people on universal credit work? You're just being awful for the sake of it.

Its disregarded, I know this as I worked for UC. If you have savings of more than 6K it will effect your benefits.

Once more. Millions of people on universal credit are in work. Keep your spiteful nasty benefit bashing comments to yourself

Yup, I am a single mum to two on almost 50k a year (work my tits off!) and still get UC because of my ridiculously expensive rent & childcare

Oof, you are brave. Wait for the comments saying they can't believe you can be on £50k and get UC.

But it’s true.. I barley have a pot to piss in

Yep, childcare and rent can be silly amounts. You get what you are entitled to.

Plenty of families on UC have a lot less money.

And some people have more outgoings

CM has been disregarded as income for calculating the legacy benefits, and now UC, for over 15 years. And small, infrequent gifts from family members are also disregarded as income, so OP can give the bank statements for both her other accounts to the DWP with no fear of being accused of committing fraud (despite what some of the ignoramuses on here are claiming) because she hasn't.
CM is disregarded because it is not a reliable form of support for children - absent parents can stop paying it at any time and some never pay it (20% in fact). Why should children suffer because of a delinquent absent parent? The child element of UC guarantees a minimum, regular support payment for children whose parents are on a low income (as so many single parents are).
Finally, 40% of UC claimants also work and pay tax so many of them are paying for their own "circus" - or as they would see it, their life. I've honestly never understood the attitude of some people who have so much resenting those who have so little as to need state support, but you do you.

Not nessarily.

This is correct and madness as if you are widowed and receive any life insurance over 6k it is counted and anything over 16K and you can’t claim. Widowed parents have no way of claiming child maintenance from their dead partner but a person who is divorced could be getting £20k a year or more in child maintenance and it is disregarded.

Child maintenance doesn’t count - this all sounds fine / don’t listen to the mumsnet negatives sort being unpleasant. Do your research online but stop panicking x

Absolutely no need to lecture me on a thing.

What's the misinformation you think I've given? I'm happy to clarify anything you've misunderstood.

You are making up that "they" know an individual has three accounts and "they" are waiting for that individual to tell "them" about it. I'm fully aware of the new act, thanks. There just aren't enough staff in the DWP to know who has what account and to lie in wait for that person.
The act allows bank accounts to be monitored if there's suspicion of fraud. It has no provision for checking how many (legitimate) accounts every claimant has.

Please, no more eDUcATe YourSeLf type comments from you.

Yes you haven't declared bank accounts that you know you have, regardless of what they're for they need to be declared, UC are very clear about this. Best to be honest and own up to it now.