My children's father has been out of employment and claiming jobseeker's allowance for around 15 years now. He is also fraudulently claiming some kind of incapacity benefit or whatever it's called now, pretending to be ill. I have no idea what exactly.
He also earns thousands of pounds selling specialist equipment on eBay, although that is sporadic, for example he will knuckle down and spend 3 months on ebay and make a packet, then do nothing for a few months, then pick it up again. He never has savings, always spends what he's earnt almost as soon as he's sold something, usually just on more equipment to sell. He doesn't declare this income.
I have never asked for financial assistance from him as there is no way of proving to the CSA he earns thousands on eBay - I don't have his bank account details nor his Paypal a/c details and don't know his eBay ID name anymore. He also uses fake names and addresses to sell on eBay to avoid being tracked by benefits people.
This last year has been difficult for me though, I had to pull my 3 year old out of nursery because I couldn't afford one morning a week (I know he's free come September) and I'm two months behind with my rent at present since the govt reduced my housing benefit by £100 a month (three of us in 2-bed house. two children age 3 and 5).
I have never asked him for financial support, but am now thinking I may. Just odd bits of money for things like new term school shoes or uniform, etc would be so appreciated. Or paying for something like Brownies or similar for my 5 year old once a week. I can't afford to stay living in this village anymore so am soon going to have pull my eldest out of school and move to a nearby town and a cheaper house, possibly even a one bedroom, so need to try and start saving some money for removal costs, deposits, etc.
What I want to know is, where do I start?
Do I just email CSA and explain that he sell on eBay when I can't provide documented proof he does? Because if they mention this when contacting him, he will know I have effectively dobbed him in for this fraud, and being as we left him due to DV issues, it's not a risk I want to take.
I'm not trying to fleece him, I have just reached the point 5 years on, where I am at rock bottom financially, and am struggling to support my children, to the point we are about to be evicted. I can't even afford a week's shopping this week, or next week in fact, because I'm so overdrawn, we are goijng to be living on value beans and packets of half opened old pasta shells in the back of the (empty) food cupboards!
What is your advice? Is there really any point contacting CSA and starting the ball rolling when he will know it is me who has mentioned eBay to them? And can they even do anything about that anyway, tracinbg his selling activities? Because he must have made about fifty grand in the last 15 years.