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?

Do you like what you see in the mirror ?

Coming from a place of experience... clearly.

Child maintenance is disregarded for earnings calculations, however, if you have thousands there then I’m not sure. If it’s rather you have the maintenance paid there and then transfer to your ‘normal’ bank account to spend through the month, then I’d imagine you’re fine.

During the review but generally you don't. You have to tell them if it affects your capital or where your UC gets paid, otherwise it's a 'should' not a 'must' so you can't get into trouble for not doing it.

Everything is income, but gifts and child maintenance are DISREGARDED income for UC.

It is disregarded for your UC calculation but that isn't the point. All bank accounts, current or savings, credit union, PayPal, have to be declared and statements uploaded for them all.

The disregard aspect is irrelevant to a UC review. They still want to see all the accounts.

The ifs and maybes are where this goes wrong. In a review all accounts have to be declared. Declaring everything avoids the speculation and uncertainty of what may or may not be "ok". I work in this sector and believe me, you are expected to declare everything. Not doing so for whatever reason, even if you think its not relevant to the UC calculation, is asking for trouble and further investigation. It can also cause delay to the next UC payment. I'm speaking from experience and not conjecture.

Yes, as I stated in my comment above the one you're replying to.

It is not fraud, they won't care that the accounts haven't been declared before and the income to those accounts will be disregarded.

The child maintenance will be disregarded for the calculation of UC. You can't be sure all the money in all the accounts would be disregarded unless you know the exact figures or source of all the money in them, CM not withstanding. My point is they do care if you omit accounts, regardless of the final outcome, and it is this kind of issue that causes next payment delays. I've seen it in my day to day work.

Get the statements, but don't close the accounts before the review, there is no need and it will look odd. Just upload everything and yes explain at the same time.

At the review, she should declare them. It isn't a big deal though because she has no savings in them that would make her entitled to less UC and any CM payments are disregarded anyway.

Yes but as you know, there will only be a delay if the claimant doesn't complete the items on their to do list by the requested date/contact UC to let them know if there's a problem doing that.

I dislike the way UC was implemented and many of the rules around the way it's enacted but I've spoken many times to advisors and other staff on behalf of people I work with. I generally find them helpful and willing to work with claimants to avoid problems.

No it's not 🤦‍♀️😅

They don't take maintenence into account,

She should of told them about the bank accounts but it isnt fraud as they wouldnt include maintence into account anyway. Her children's fathers could pay her a million pound a month and she'd still be entitled to benefits

She definitely wouldn’t still be entitled as she’d certainly have rather over the allowed amount of savings, 🤑however I get the point you are trying to make and all those shouting fraud are simply wrong!

I believe she actually would be because CM is disregarded. It would be different if the CM was less and she saved it putting her over the savings limit allowed but if the CM was over the savings limit without saving it, it would be disregarded because it is CM.

You are definitely wrong. No one with multi million pounds in the bank will be given UC, regardless of where that money has come from 😆

Declare all the accounts ~ 6 months statements should suffice
Particularly as you say you transfer money from one to another ~ UC are therefore likely to find reference to your others accounts amongst the details you have submitted.
UC often check with banks direct when given new bank details of where you want UC to be paid into, whether there are any linked accounts ~ so best you declare them, rather than wait from them to ask you about them

Yes and I think the OP will upload everything, it is just easier to declare everything from the start to prevent the stress going forward.

When any income becomes savings over the lower capital limit it will be tariff deducted regardless of the source unless a disregard is allowed by a DM. If it has accumulated to over £16k it will end UC entitlement. The monthly disregard for CM is one thing, if it becomes savings it can be assessed differently. In this case the OP hasn't got accumulated CM from what they have said, but its a point worth considering.

yes child maintenance and child benefit is disregarded from their calculations. But you must be honest about finances and if you have 3 accounts you show 3 accounts. It is up to the assessors to disregard the child benefit and maintenance not for you to hide them. Follow the correct process and you will not be penalised. Hide things and they wont be happy and you could be done just for hiding things. It is pointless trying to hide things anyway. These days HMRC and the authorities can access your information behind the scenes. When they see the transfers to and from accounts they will know you have other accounts. Just show all. The different name will not be of concern if you explain it. Just be honest then keep a check of how they do the calculations to ensure they disregard the parts that need disregarding.

It is disregarded, but you still need to declare all your bank accounts otherwise it looks like you are trying to hide something.

I can answer based on what op has said, which is what we should all do. The INCOME of child maintenance and cash gifts w\in those account will be disregarded and as there is no money left in them at the end of the month, there is no capital to disregard.

They will care if she omits accounts during the review, but they will not care that she has not declared them in the past. I have had a review AND work for the DWP so I see how claim reviews work every day.

Technically as long as it was spent by the next assessment period it would be allowed but definitely questioned and closely monitored!

I would be a big spender if I had the available income but even I’d struggle with a million a month 🤣