claiming single parent tax credits but ex spends all time at house

[Arrowfanatic]

Wondered if you knowledgeable ladies could help.

So a friend split with her husband. She needs to claim tax credits and housing benefit now as a single person. Ex husband works locally but lives a ways away so turns up at hers at 7:30am, takes kids to school and stays there until he goes to work in the evening. Often sleeps on her sofa instead of driving home. He also has all his stuff registered to her, employment etc.

Could this cause issues tax credit wise? He doesn't contribute financially to the house just pays maintenance. But spends more time coming and going in her house than his. He has a key and parks his second car out the front of hers, usually drives one car to hers then swaps for the other car so he has a vehicle there all the time.

Yes of course it could cause problems , especially if someone reports her. If he is there all day he must be eating and showering there etc. Why on earth did they split if he wants to keep spending so much time there.

Even if the amount of time he spends there wasn't an issue then using the address for his work surely will be. I'd be willing to bet that's not all he uses her address for.

Is she happy with the arrangement or is he a determined hanger-on?

Tell her to ring them and ask. I split with DH but had to live together until I could save up and move out. I rang and explained my situation and they said because I was no longer financially dependant on him I could still claim. I was told to put in a covering letter along with my claim and explain the situation. I did and was awarded tax credits. I was only in that situation for 2 months and informed them immediately when I moved out. It won't hurt for her to ask. Better that than claim fraudulently.

It could cause problems I understand about going there to do school run but if he's then there sleeping most days, then does childcare then goes straight to work it would seem very much like they are a couple. Why would you waste money renting somewhere else and rarely go home?

He would need to transfer all his paperwork to his new adress asap they will check bank accounts, car etc to this address. I would go ahead and claim but be prepared for some direct questions about the relationship.

The housing benefits quite often check to see who has bank accounts, credit cards etc registered at the address so he will need to get those changed asap

He lives with his girlfriend, who he claims to hate so distances himself from the house. He cheated on my friend with this woman hence the split. In addition to this he had another girlfriend who lives round the corner from my friends place. He works evenings so after the school run he'll hang around my friends house whilst she is at work, see his girlfriend, help his mum, then pick the kids up from school and go to work. He uses my friends house for everything.

As for happy with the arrangement, well she is neither happy nor unhappy. Think she just goes with the flow she's not a very proactive kind of person.