Help! I've not been registered to vote at a property for 3 years and am worried about a big council tax bill for me and my partner

[AmberFish]

Before I go into detail I would like to be clear that I have been naive on this scenario and totally accept my wrongdoing! My intention is to fix the situation but I'm looking to find out what I can expect in case it's likely to cause huge financial problems.

Around 3 years ago, I moved in with my partner who lives alone in a flat they own in london. Originally this was a temporary move while I was flat hunting, so while I moved my bank addresses to make sure I still got my mail, I didn't register to vote or join the council tax.

Another factor in this is my partner is on UC and therefore gets a council tax discount, plus the single person discount, so it didn't make sense to me at the time to put extra financial strain on them by putting me on the council tax, just for a temporary move. (even though we'd split the full cost 50/50, this would work out more expensive for my partner than their current discounted rate. Perhaps not relevant but while I do pay the majority of other utilities and food costs, we don't share finances and I don't intend to change this). For context, I do have a salary and while I don't have savings I would not be classed low income.

So now it's 3 years later, the relationship got more serious and therefore I never moved out, and honestly I hadn't put any thought into council tax since the initial move.

With elections going on I looked into registering to vote recently and basically became shit scared at my situation, and worried that if I do register now that will alert the council to my situation and we could be hit by a 3 year bill or fine or something which we can't afford. Also from looking at my credit score, I'm aware not being on the electoral role has affected it so I don't want to continue avoiding the problem.

Has anyone else gone through anything like this and had experience in registering to vote after a long period of not being registered at a property? For example could I just register at the property as if I moved in now, or would they look into where I've been for the last 3 years?

Another option to delay the inevitable is I could register to vote at my parent's address since that won't affect their bill - I'd be intrigued to know if there are consequences to this but in reality I'm looking to just put things right and be registered to the correct property.

I've tried looking for information on this online but haven't found anything so would love to hear from your experiences/ what you recommend I should do 😓

No apologies for judging fraudulent activity. It can't have happened by accident. Each year a council tax reminder will have arrived, and OP's DP will be reminded to notify of any updates to his circumstances monthly if not more often for UC.

So basically "we've committed council tax fraud and benefits fraud and how do we get out of it?"

Well you're OK whatever. Its your partner who is going to be in deep shit. Not sure how well that sits with you?

He's the one who's been claiming benefits he's not entitled to and lying to the CT dept. You would sadly not get any negative consequences on this as its all in his name and it was his responsibility to inform the correct depts.

If you actually do care about him, fess up. For all of it it. Yes you will have to pay the money back. Or he can, and very likely will be, arrested for fraud and end up with a criminal record. If you lie and say you just moved in, they can (and likely will) check this by various means. If you carry on as you are, eventually he'll get caught.

The only realistic way out is full honesty and an offer to pay what's owed, even if on a payment plan.

I’d just act as if I’d moved in now , I can’t see that they will chase up where you’ve been particularly if you were previously registered at your parents address

Oh dear. Naivety (or stupidity) is not a defence.

I think you need to get him to tell the council that you’ve moved in permanently from X date and take it from there.

Personally, I think it’s totally wrong that people are forced into pooling their income the minute one person moves in, instead of allowing them a trial period of living together and keeping separate finances, which they’d be able to do if they had another means of income.

You have committed fraud, intentionally or not. You will need to pay back the 25% discount that you have had for the past 3 years and if your partner didn’t update his UC details then that is benefit fraud. I can see the council tax bill possibly ‘slipping your mind’ but given that you get a bill every year which would have the 25% discount on it I am not sure this is really a defence. If your partner hasn’t updated his UC claim in that time it is blatant fraud.

I think your partner is sponging off you and also the taxpayer.

You've been together for three years at least, and you pay for utilities and food while he for some reason doesn't get a job that would enable him to stop relying on either you or UC. He's living the easy life at your expense.

Why no ring?
Why no job that pays enough to share finances equally, and stop claiming UC and other benefits?

She updated the address with her bank when she first moved in. The bank she probably gets her wages paid into it. Won't be hard for them to check.

They are not forced. They only have to do it if they want to receive benefits. No one forces them to claim
UC.

You think the taxpayer should pay for people to have a trial period?

The other way out of this is to move out asap, move in with your parents, take the credit hit, and register to vote. Cross your fingers nobody ever notices you lived with the bf for three years.

Then never move in again with someone who seems happy to live off other people's money.

I don't think the LA elections team will look into where you've been living previously.

However once you have been Registered to vote at that address then your partner will have to tell Council tax team and UC you've moved in as their will be evidence you are now living there.

https://www.advicenow.org.uk/guides/living-partner-and-benefits. You need to take action asap as the consequences can be significant….how is he not aware of what he has done?

This benefit and council tax fraud

This. What did he do about his UC claim?

Surely it’s the man’s fault? I

your suggestion of registering at your parents where you don't live does not sit with your idea of trying to put things right.

The OP hasn't done anything wrong!

Council tax is assessed & paid on the property so it was down to her partner to advise that she'd moved on!

I would register to vote & tell your partner that he needs to advise the council.

That & the UC claim are all his concern - not the OP's .

I don’t think deliberately and fraudulently avoiding paying any council tax for 3 years is ‘naive’.

Neither in benefit fraud

Where's the OP gone?

She’s packing 😆

Your income should have been taken into account for UC. He has been claiming fraudulently otherwise.

I think 3 years is a bit too long to claim it's an accident op 😬it doesn't look good. I'd get it all straightened out asap and hope for the best.