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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Lying about address on Primary School application

74 replies

PeppermintLatte · 19/05/2012 18:53

i know it's wrong and i feel awful about it, but i feel i don't have much choice. this could be a little lengthy but i don't want to drip feed. i'd really appreciate it if you could take the time to read it and offer any advice.

ok, ex fiancee and i lived together in a nice suburb, we had a DD (who will start school next year, so i need to fill my application in september) we had a nice life and were so happy (well i was) then he decided family life wasn't for him, he still loved me but felt it was better we split i just want to let you know at this point that we still have a good relationship, i wouldn't go as far as saying we are friends but we are civil and still care for each other.

ex owns a property just outside of the catchment area of the school we had always wanted daughter to attend. it's a good school, not outstanding, but above average, it's a faith school and DD and i still attend the church every week that DD was christened at - this is the church that is linked with school, although the school don't make this a priority on the criteria, it's essentially just catchment area and siblings. DD attends a private nursery in the area and a few of her little friends will be attending this school.

ok, when ex and i split i had to move in with my mum, i'm newly self employed on a crap income and i had no choice. the area my mum lives in is awful, high crime rate, asbo rate etc.. and the schools are awful (i attended one, cousins attended another) i cannot send my girl to either of these schools, i just can't.

anyway, ex has just bought a bigger property in the catchment area of the school, i am still with my mum but am desperate to get back to the area i lived with ex, it's lovely and DD and i were so happy there, plus i work there, this is where my clients are from. one of my clients has a brother who lives in a 2 bed flat in the area, he has applied for his visa to move to australia to be with his GF and has said i can rent his place when he goes (likely to be late 2013) i'm pretty sure i will be able to afford it by then and i will also claim housing benefit if i need to. the area is fairly pricy, i certainly couldn't afford it just yet. i asked him could i use the address for the school application as i will be living there next year, he wasn't comfortable with it and said no. fair enough.

started panicking as sept isn't too far away and ex said "just use my address, i'm her father and you'll be living in the catchment area just after she starts school anyway" but surely it's not that easy? we are not together and are unlikely to reconcile. i claim WTC and CTC and my child benefit is obviously registered to my mum's address and this is what they use to determine DD's permanant address. would i have to change my benefits over to ex's new address? this seems dodgy to me and i would be terrified they would investigate me & see that i didn't really live there. but then how do people use "grandma's address" do they have to put child benefit into grandma's address? ex is saying he would move back to his old property and we could actually move in his new property for a few months so it's legal, but still, i know it's wrong and it's possible they would investgate me if i changed address to ex's property?

OP posts:

rainbowinthesky · 19/05/2012 18:54

donnie · 19/05/2012 18:58

a very difficult situation but ultimately my advice is NOT to deliberately mislead the LEA. It will come back to haunt you and will jeopardise your dd's education. Even if the school does not find you out you will be grassed up, believe me.

StealthPolarBear · 19/05/2012 18:58

Who has custody of your dd? Tbh I don't have a moral problem with this, would usually with this sort.of thing, but her dad.libes there and you 2 will soon be living there

timetoask · 19/05/2012 19:05

It is in the dad's interest for DD to get into a good school. He should allow you to live in the house until you can rent that flat.

Original poster

PeppermintLatte · 19/05/2012 19:05

donnie i was thinking about that, but i don't see how i can be grassed up if we are actually moving to the area a couple of months later, or if i take ex's suggestion and actually move in his new place from september to when i get the flat. it will be weird to live in ex's place, but i'll do it if it means "doing the right thing" so to speak. just worried that i will have to change child benefit over to his address and then they will know he lives there, even though he doesn't claim tax credits. the house is obviously in his name.

stealth i have custody of DD, ex has her 1 weekend a month and every monday and tuesday overnight. that's my problem, i would have a problem with someone doing this if they weren't ever going to live in the area as it's taking someone else's place, but we really will be living there.

OP posts:

Original poster

PeppermintLatte · 19/05/2012 19:09

timetoask he says he will and that he won't mind at all, he will keep himself on his old electoral roll etc.. but mortage and bills will all be in his name. surely if i put his address on application they will check where i get my child benefit, so i would have to change that over (along with my tax credits) to his new address. what if they investigated me because i had done this? or maybe that's not highly likely and i am just being paranoid.

i honestly don't know how so many people use "grandma's address" and don't care. this has got me worried sick.

OP posts:

Herbsmum · 19/05/2012 19:10

Oh, please be careful. I thought they checked with the address the child benefit is registered to.
It isn't worth risking getting a black mark against your character surely. If you are going to move ther then can't you wait until then and go through proper channels and hope there is a late place.
Personally I would never have risk edit. Mums in the playground talk and ask where you live, play dates etc... You would be grassed on by someone for sure.

sparkles281 · 19/05/2012 19:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MirandaWest · 19/05/2012 19:13

You need to make your application by mid January 2013. Will you have moved into catchment by then?

sparkles281 · 19/05/2012 19:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MarySA · 19/05/2012 19:15

I don't think you should lie on theform. Can't you move into DP's house for a few months. That would be the best way round it I think.

Brices · 19/05/2012 19:21

I would change child benefit to his address

Original poster

PeppermintLatte · 19/05/2012 19:25

thanks so much for all your replies, i really appreciate it.

Miranda no, i won't have moved by january, it will be towards the end of 2013 (when she actually has already started school) the genteman whose flat i'm renting has told me roughly november 2013, may be slightly sooner or later.

sparkles i know, i feel awful, i would go sick if my DD lost out on a place due to parents lying on applications. it's just that we really will be living there (actually a 2 minute walk to the school) a couple of months after she starts. ex has two mortgages and won't be able to pay me anymore money towards rent. he does provide financially for DD but not a great deal. he tends to buy her clothes/toys etc for his house.

i think i will have to move into ex's new property, but obviously will have to inform tax credits and child benefit that i live there, otherwise she's not going to get into the school is she? but my worry is tax credits investigating me as i'm a single parent and i have moved to ex's address. surely they would inform the L.A, plus i'd have my tax credits stopped, which i desperately need. council tax is in ex's name though, would the school till accept that as proof because it's not in my name?

OP posts:

5madthings · 19/05/2012 19:27

change child benefit to his address and did you say you could live with him until you get your flat? so you will actually be living (albeit temporarily) in the house that you have used on the application? if you think you can live with your ex amicably for a few months then that would be a good solution as then everything is above board :)

Coconutty · 19/05/2012 19:28

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

FarrowAndBollock · 19/05/2012 19:29

Can't your ex-P apply for the school in his name?

5madthings · 19/05/2012 19:29

will he be living in the house with you? i think you can still claim tax credits as a single mum even if you live with him? as living together doesnt make you a couple, as long as you can show that you have your own bills, outgoings etc? when you say you are moving house would you have to declare you are living with your ex? as long as you are still financially independent its the same as a house share surely? i amnot sure how it works tbh tho.

sparkles281 · 19/05/2012 19:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

sparkles281 · 19/05/2012 19:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MirandaWest · 19/05/2012 19:35

I think either you need to accept that your tax credits may be stopped if you move into your exes house, or you can't really apply from his house, as you get child benefit and your DD is with you more than she's with him.

Original poster

PeppermintLatte · 19/05/2012 19:37

you are all being so lovely and understanding, thank you. i have felt like a vile criminal

5madthings yes, i can live with him, but it'd be weird, but he said he will move to his other property so it's just me and DD living in his new place (5 mins from the school) temporarily until i get my flat (2 mins from school)

Coconutty that will be the best solution, i'm just worried that when i change child benefit and tax credits to his address (that's the only way DD will get into the school) that they will smell a rat as i'm single, they'll presume we are back together. maybe they won't know he lives there and i'm just being paranoid. but obviously the mortgage and bills will be in his name.

Farrow it has to be me as i'm the main parent who receives the CB.

OP posts:

sparkles281 · 19/05/2012 19:41

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

5madthings · 19/05/2012 19:43

ok so you wont be living with him, sounds like he is being really good, its nice you can help each other out, ultimately it benefits his daughter :)

in that case i dont think it will affect tax credits as its just your address that is changing? they have no idea that he owns the house nad i cant see that it would matter? has he ever had tax credits etc in his name from that house? i cant see that they will know, all yo uhave to do is call them to say you are moving, you wont be living with him, i cant see it being a problem with tax credits :)

5madthings · 19/05/2012 19:44

yes do a lease or it can be his maintenance as sparkles said, i think a written agreement will cover both of you :)

Original poster

PeppermintLatte · 19/05/2012 19:46

sparkles thanks for all your advice. i would love to be able to say to chilkd benfits and tax credits "i'm temporarily moving to this address, it's ex's home and it's our maintenance agreement" but i just think they'd investigate me and then inform LA. so i would have to take the risk with tax credits and child benefit and just hope they don't cotton on that it's ex's address. he doesn't claim any benefits so i would imagine they can't automatically know that he lives there. but then what about when i change address again to my flat, aren't they (tax credits) going to wonder why i've moved twice in a year or am i being paranoid?

OP posts:

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