housing benefit

[charlotte_]

i'm currently claiming housing benefit as a single person. zach's dad/my partner, doesn't live with me, and never has. he does however stay over probably 3 out of 7 nights a week. i've always been really paranoid that i'm breaking some kind of law doing that, and today i had an even bigger scare when a man from the council turned up on my doorstep to do what he called a routine check-up, he asked me about zach, looked round the house, confirmed the amount of rent i pay etc. is this run of the mill? he said it was, and i had nothing to worry about, but was he trying to catch me out at something? cause my OH answered the bloody door!

do you think the check was run of the mill? am i doing anything wrong? i'm really against benefit fraud in any way and it's making me feel sick that i might be doing something wrong.

 

[Serendipity_]

If they thought you were breaking the law, I think that they would come round and tell you to be honest.

 

[*Rainbow*]

Deleted

 

[Serendipity_]

And he doesn't, so nothing to be scared of

 

[HollyHobby]

Don't worry it sounds like a basic check to see if it's worth the rent, but I wouldnt tell anyone that your oh stays over as you would be in trouble and could lose your housing benefit. that nearly happened to someone i know as she grassed up as her bf was stopping over most nights.

 

[aramintalovegrove]

Totally normal HUn although they do catch benefit fraudsters out that way but its just routine who they visit usually, rather than aimed at you or your circumstances.

3 nights per week is the maximum he can stay in order for you to qualify for HB as a single person so just make sure you stick to that each week. You can have an extended stay over if you can prove its a holiday but in your circs I would just stick to three nights a week so it doesnt get complicated.

Your OH needs to keep all his mail going to his parents home and all bank accounts etc should state his home addy is his parents too as that could be a problem if he used yours and they WERE ever to investigate

 

[lauramumof2]

He might have to prove he does stay somewhere though or they might start taking an interest in how often he stays at yours. I would phone annonymously (sp) to check as Im sure there is a set amount of times that someone can stay overnight before this may be taken into account.

Im not trying to scare you, its just Ive worked in benefits and Im almost sure they dont have to tell you if they are checking up on a lead. I could be wrong though.

Just make sure he doesnt get mail or anything delivered to your house.

Does he have utility bills or some way of proving where he stays?

 

[mummykay]

jus a check by sounds of it, i had one when i was with jams dad and they jus wanted facts and figures, nothin ever came of it tho

 

[mrs_tommo22]

I never had that myself. But as the girls have said im sure its routine

 

[lea m]

I never had someone come and check? We claim housing benefit at the min while OH is out of work but no one ever came and checked things?
Also I did hear that they changed the rules about partners sleeping over so I would do what lauramumof2 said and just check to be on the safe side! ?

Ooh I just found this on one website

Q. I am currently claiming benefit as a single person. I’ve heard that I can have my partner stay no more than three nights a week is this true?

A. NO it’s not true. This is a common misconception. The benefit office takes absolutely no account of the number of days any partner may stay over. It does however take account of the whole picture and looks at the whole relationship to determine if the claim as a single person is genuine.

 

[charlotte_]

he doesn't have any stuff here, if anyone was to have a good poke round it would be blatantly obvious it's just me & zach. there's a desperate housewives boxset on the go infront of the TV, only one bedside table upstairs etc.

Does he have utility bills or some way of proving where he stays?

no, his mum pays for everything

 

[*Star*]

hmm if i were you maybe ring up, say that your worried and you need to know what classes as a single parent etc.

 

[Noor~ul~Usman]

when my husband was out fo the country a few years ago I applied and they wanted to check the house and made an appointment but I couldn't keep it so the woman viewed the house from the outside and then rang me to confirm the internal layout.

Just claimed again as hubby is out of work and apart from ticking the boxes on the form no one has asked

However they ARE only paying us for a 2 bedroom house since there is only us and the baby when it's actually a 3bedroom so I'm short of £100 a month on rent
(one of the reasons we're looking to move from this private rent to a council house in may lol!)