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?

It is! So you should declare the accounts to keep yourself right but it won’t make a difference to how much you get in UC.

Only if the money her dad sometimes gives her is a large amount. They really won't be interested otherwise as small, infrequent cash gifts are also disregarded.

If you hide bank accounts, they find out through the bank and tax office, and it’s considered fraud if you don’t declare them.

Tell them now, you may have an overpayment, and it will have to be paid back, but that should be it.

I used to work for them, and I assume it’s the same now.

I’ll be as rude as I like to somebody who is salivating at the thought of OP being in trouble for doing absolutely nothing wrong. Grow up.

You’re missing the part where she receives cash gifts from her own father which she hasn’t declared or mentioned.

You're correct OP, CM is disregarded for UC so you have not received any more UC than you're entitled to and therefore you have not committed fraud. I would say, however, that for the sake of transparency you should have declared all your bank accounts otherwise it could look like you're trying to hide something (when you aren't!).

They will ask why you didn’t declare the other accounts and ask for some bank statements from them to ensure you wasn’t hiding any money, but child maintenance is disregarded anyway so as long as there’s no other income going into it then nothing will come of it

She was talking about her husband for the last few pages

It definitely was for Tax credits - not sure about Universal Credit.

Which is allowed.

Two questions.

Have you broken UC rules by having undeclared bank accounts?

Answer would seem to be yes and you need to declare them now and produce statements.

Whether fraud is in play will depend on the amount in the accounts and the source. But if it's maintenance from kid's Dad, is spent as one would expect, and it's not accumulating so as to get over the £6/16k limits then I don't think you need to worry. I doubt they'll even raise an eyebrow.

Reviews are looking for irregularity, for example income that might be from cash in hand employment. If you've forgotten an account, or failed to disclose it when you opened it then, as I say above you'll be fine.

I doubt there are many of those earning significant amounts

@Maddyisqueeneven is she does have a husband, that doesn’t mean he’s the father of the children she gets child maintenance for

You are an example of why so many of use hate the benefits culture

No it's not, you don't know what you're talking about. Child Maintenance is disregarded for UC so OP hasn't received any more UC than she's entitled to.

I've just checked all 7 of the OP's replies, not once does she mention a husband. She does make reference to her children's dad, nowhere does she say she's married.

No salivation here

you are rude

You don't understand benefit fraud do you?

Receiving it is allowed, yes, but you’re supposed to declare all cash gifts even if they won’t affect your claim.

You can receive 3k a year from family you aren't obliged to declare.

Because she hasn’t declared a bank account that she receives child maintenance in .. when child maintenance is disregarded anyway? 😂 she wouldn’t be getting any less UC even if they knew about the CM.

Yep, I do. OP is receiving money from her parents and not declaring it in case it impacts her claim.

What would you call that if not fraud?

Depends on how much, few hundred here and there, no. Several grand yes.

Because it's literally not! Gifts from family are allowed!

Again, for what feels like the 100th time - I’m not talking about the child maintenance - I’m talking about the money her dad gives her that she hasn’t declared.