Benefits and fraud help!!!

[Happymum2017]

Hi all newbie here and abit of a long story...

So I have been with my current partner since dec 2013 he was living in his own property, I was living in mine working part time and receiving housing benefit ctc and wtc, I fell pregnant unplanned and we planned to move in, he had given notice on his house and we planned to move in together in the oct 2015 this didn't happen due to us splitting so he went to live with his dad in his dad's caravan while we patched things up. Our relationship was up and down from then so we continued to live that way, baby was born in may 2016 he works and did stay over to help with baby who was quite difficult, at times he probably stayed more than allowed, I agreed to let him use my address for his wage slips because he had no fixed address, this was the only post he received here. In the may our baby was born I had a compliance interview over the phone someone had reported that my partner lived with me, I told the lady he was living in his dad's caravan but did stay over. Heard nothing more. He has now moved in and I have declared him living with me, pit joint claims in for relevant benefits, my worry is will it flag up anywhere that he has used my address for wage slips? I read online that this could be seen as benefit fraud, although this hasn't intentionally been done, on paper it could be looked at as living together! Petrified and worried sick I could be in trouble for something I haven't intentionally done!

No, him using your address for wage slips shouldn't cause any problem. It's quite common for people to use 'care-of' addresses if their actual accommodation can't reliably receive post for whatever reason.

It might be a sign that you are living together, but it wouldn't be sufficient evidence on its own - and it seems they did investigate, and found everything to be above board. So you'll be fine.

Thank you, it wasn't actually used as a 'care of' address, just my address. Although I can back up if need be why he was using my address. I've been in such a state all week worrying myself literally sick about the what ifs, although I've done nothing wrong. Sometimes these things are hard to prove, like I said I've had no follow up from my phone interview last may and it wasn't under caution or anything. Just worried something could flag up while their processing my joint benefits.

Thank you for your reply, I still feel sick with worry, can't eat can't sleep and can't focus on anything except the worry of what could happen, I've read cases can be brought up for investigation years after...obviously I can't keep putting myself through this on a daily basis, I'm making myself ill and have lost around 6lb in a week!

I've since gone all through my bank statements and their is some transactions from him to me and vice Versa, these were amounts he had leant me and then I'd paid him back.

Several times he said he would move in and commit properly, I even put my home address on our sons birth certificate as his address because he was meant to be moving in the next day, but he let me down and didn't move in, when I claimed for child benefit a while after he said he would move in so I ticked a box saying we lived together, again he let me down! I feel all these little things that were actually legitimate won't go in my favour!

Hi OP, I don't think you need to worry about it anymore if it wasn't an interview under caution. I've had three of these compliance interviews, but mine were in the job centre and no further action was taken because they couldn't find any evidence on me. After my last one I did move my partner in and stopped receiving income support so I have nothing to do with that now. If you haven't done anything wrong then you don't need to worry about it.

Thank you, I know I haven't done anything wrong and keep telling myself that, but doesn't ease the worry of the what ifs. My compliance interview was over the phone last may I asked her what happens now and she said nothing she was happy with what I told her.

My worry is now he has moved in, will anything flag up down the line such as wage slips coming here...I can explain they came here because he lived in a caravan and doesn't receive post there, they came here because he saw me on a regular basis, again his address as mine on the birth certificate, I done that because he didn't have an address and planned to move in the following day, and the same with ticking the box on my child benefit as living with partner! (As if I would do that if I was claiming fraudulently) Surely this is all the evidence they would need to prosecute me if it ever came to that?!

Life is now getting really good...he's commuted and moved in I have a new job to start and feel like it could all come crashing down!

Can I just add...the only reason I'm thinking these things is because I came across a Facebook post on mum's group and her situation was similar to mine except she had been called in for a interview under caution I haven't, but it did make me think god that could happen to me!

Was it for income support? If it was that and you're no longer claiming it because he's moved in then they won't be investigating you anymore.

No I've never claimed income support, I've always worked I received child tax credits working tax credits and a top up of housing benefit

You will be fine. Just make sure you keep housing benefit up to date. I found them the hardest to deal with :/

No they won't suddenly start investigating you because you are claiming lessbenegits, that makes no sense. Don't worry you have done nothing wrong.

Thanks all I informed housing benefit as soon as he moved in.