Benefits and joint accounts

[toomuchnutella]

My friends husband moved out 3 or so months ago, they had a joint account and she started claiming benefits as soon as he left.

However they had a shared account until a week ago,and his wages would go into that account, she said he didn't get his own straight away as he never had time because of work, and she couldn't get her own account anywhere else as no one would give her one.Her own bank account refused to give her another single account because of something to do with her name,she had changed her name on the bank account when she married, but then never got round to changing it on anything else so just kept her own name in the end (Only going by married name on bank account!)

When she claimed she didn't show proof of child benefit as she hadn't claimed it until that point (husband was a high earner so wasn't entitled) and they said she could take it in at a later date.Now she is worried as she has received a letter saying they need to see a bank statement for proof of child benefit,and shes worried they might think she is committing fraud?

Does this sound like something she could get into trouble for?I thought i would ask on here, as she is really worried,poor thing.

anyone?

really?

So is the issue that she wants to claim CB but the only bank account statement she can provide has his (high) salary going into it?

I think it would be hard for her to convincingly set out why she doesn't have access to that money if she can withdraw it from the joint account.

The ex-husband really needs to re-direct his salary into another account that only he controls. If he doesn't then I really don't think your friend should be claiming the benefits she is currently doing.

It sounds a bit odd that she can't get a bank account (even a basic one) on her own - even my ex who had thousands of pounds of debt in a IVA managed to get one with co-op - Citizen's Advice would be able to point her in the right direction to an account with no credit facility

Well today she said she handed in a statement that just showed the child benefit payments being paid in,she searched it online and printed out the statement, she said they were fine with that so hopefully thats the end of it.

He has his own account and the next set of wages,at the end of this month will be paid into his own account, he still hasnt taken his name of their joint one though, apparently he has to do it in the branch and its not open at weekends.

no sorry it wasn't so claim cb, she was already claiming for the last 3 months,they needed to see it so she could claim housing benefit,but she didn't have any at the time of signing up for it as she hadn't been receiving it. They said she could take it in at a later date which she has now done.