Had interview under caution...

[mrsmop]

It was awful, they had bank statements, finance agreement, letterfrom electricity provider etc....

 

In all fairness it does indeed look like (on paper) that my partner was indeed living with me at the time but he really wasnt! he was with another girl (at least one that i know of) on and off and constantly cheated on me whilst i was always wanting him to be with me and our daughter. He arranged for me to go on e-on elec supplier therefore its in his name (its key and card payments). i couldnt afford to pay my TV licence so he rang and arranged for it to be in his name so i didnt owe any back payments (again i pay with a payment card) his credit history is bad so i helped him get a car in joint names over a year ago but the agreement ended after about 2 months and we used to have a joint bank account which i initially used to have my benefit in before i used my own account as mine was over drawn. i also for a while let him have his money paid into my account when he was overdrawn.

 

I cried my eyes out. i tried to explain that yes he has been in my life but not the way i wanted him to and we didnt live together. she kept putting words into my mouth and i dont even know what i said half the time. it ended with her saying i will have to attend another interview and i have to provide her with addresses of other places he lived.

 

like i said to her, its not simple as it may look on paper, i really wish it had been!

 

we live together now and have done since after x-mas coz for the sake of our daughter and (stupidly on my part) i keep forgiving his infedility and wanting to make things work.

 

Do you think i should request a copy of the tape and seek legal advise or is that probably pointless now?

[Bookworm]

TBH, reading what you write, it does appear he was living with you, even if it wasn't the way you wanted him to. Him going off with s/one else for ? long doesn't make him having moved out, just shacked up somewhere else.

 

Unless you can provide proof that he was living elsewhere, you're stuffed, I'm afraid, because the one thing that would confirm what you say is that, since people can't live in 2 places at once. Since it's unlikely he would have bills in his name elsewhere, they're not going to take your word for it.

 

How long are we talking about of overclaimed benefits? They usually prefer to accept repayments terms rather than take it to court which means more costs and hassle.

[mrsmop]

i was on income support for about 6 months. i said to her that i know no matter what i say they dont believe me and if this is the case i am willing to pay back what i claimed as im terrified of court.

 

the point is, he never actually moved in with me! obviously he stayed over at mine but to be honest i never came to mine with a bag of clothes and what not! she implied that he paid my bills, HE DIDNT! everything i have is on payment card so as it was i wasnt bothered that these were in his name, not that i even remembered that they were (barring the tv license). as i said, he lived with his mum and there is probably some letters i could provide for that but the majority of the time he was with this other girl (at her parents) and theres not a chance shes going to back that up or even admit to being with him.

 

its all such a mess!

[Bookworm]

It certainly is.

[mrsmop]

so is it worth me attending the next one with a legal rep or not do u think?

[sweets-on-the-move]

i agree with all the rest here i think ur in a pickle here .i would see what they intend to do really.if they take u to court then the evidence tape ect will be handed to defence solicitors .but u dont know what action they will take they may warn you .do the interview answer honestly and await the outcome .

[WelshMam2009]

If your 'partner' had anything about him then he would come clean and provide details of where he was living instead of making you go through this and possibly end up with a criminal record.

 

Have you spoken to him? What does he have to say about the situation?

 

Did you advise benefits of a change of circumstances when your 'partner' moved back in after Christmas??

[ErikaPNP]

They may not be looking at just whether he may have been living with you but whether you are financially independant of him. If they think (and on paper it looks as if they might) that you and him had shared finances or he was contributing financially to the household and this was not declared by you, that is a problem.

 

I would seek advice from either CAB or Welfare Rights, you can find both through your local authority. They do not charge for their service and may be able to attend the next interview with you, and to be perfectly frank they will probably be a lot more clued up on benefit legislation than any solicitor, if the solicitors letters I've come across in regard to benefit are anything to go by.

 

You are entitled to a copy of the tape.

[mrsmop]

No when he EVENTUALLY moved in, yes i informed tax credits and what not. its not that HE wont provide the details of where he lived its just the girl he was with is under no circustances going to back it up!

[WelshMam2009]

No when he EVENTUALLY moved in, yes i informed tax credits and what not. its not that HE wont provide the details of where he lived its just the girl he was with is under no circustances going to back it up!

 

Your partner is probably equally as culpable and may well find himself being interviewed soon, if he has not already done so.

 

However, I believe Erika knocked the nail on the head when she said that you are financially linked and hence, this is what you have to address.

 

Advising them of a chance in circumstances prior to your awareness of the investigation should go in your favour.

[WelshMam2009]

Just one other thing I've thought of. As you probably know already, a lot of these investigations are undertaken following anonymous tip offs. If that's the case, then more often than not, they will have been observing you, possibly for months.

 

Additionally, they will search the net for any info on you, in particular, social networking sites such as FaceBook. So, just be prepared.

[doodoo04]

Hi there...much in the same situation here i am afraid. I have to attend interview in the morning from Council but it was not clear what for but i have an idea it is because of the fact that since my husband left in november 07 he NEVER changed his address of his mail simply because he does not a peranent place to have them sent to. He still sleeps at mates house but can not declare it because most of his friend are on benefits and if somone comes to live in his place they would have issues with their benefits. So now i have issues... He still comes around to see dd but never gave me any money and i pay all my bills... I don't know...I hardly slept or ate since i received the letter but today i feel like i am dead inside. Soooooo worried but can not do anything anymore. I will go there tomorrow with a solicitor and hope they will understand it did not depend on me really but... more than this i can not say...

If you have any advice i am more than willing to listen to you dear people. Im new here but like the way you deal with issues like this without judging...

Thank you...

[mrsmop]

He still sleeps at mates house but can not declare it because most of his friend are on benefits and if somone comes to live in his place they would have issues with their benefits.

 

This is also a problem of ours. no-one seems to want to get involved. Im not a theif nor ever have been. Were due to get married (him proving his comitment to us) and i know thats why they started sniffing around. I feel suicidal over this, it would ruin my career if i was convicted. I feel like ive got a loan shark or something on my back, id just rather pay it back and be left alone!

[WelshMam2009]

He still sleeps at mates house but can not declare it because most of his friend are on benefits and if somone comes to live in his place they would have issues with their benefits.

 

This is also a problem of ours. no-one seems to want to get involved. Im not a theif nor ever have been. Were due to get married (him proving his comitment to us) and i know thats why they started sniffing around. I feel suicidal over this, it would ruin my career if i was convicted. I feel like ive got a loan shark or something on my back, id just rather pay it back and be left alone!

 

Have you got legal advice yet? If you're a member of a trade union then they should be able to provide this for free or else there is CAB. You need to know what your options are.

 

Regardless of the sleeping arrangements, you also need reasons as to why you were financially linked. If they have been observing you then they probably know that your partner was not living with you during the periods in question.

 

I know after I separated from my ex, we still had a lot of things in joint names including the mortgage, utility bills and several credit cards.

 

Due to the trauma of the separation and your hopes for a reconcilliation then you should be allowed a reasonable amount of time to 'get your house' in order on a financial level.

[doodoo04]

Hi welsh mam,

 

yes, i went to the cab as soon as i received the letter 3 weeks ago. They did not really help much more than telling me i looked bad... But the good thing is that they put me in contact to a legal aid solicitor who was present at my interview and who i will rely to as well when i receive the answer from the investigators. When i get information next i will consult with her before taking further action but i was told it will take time and that is killing me ( see my other post about it...). Anyway....i was told my husband is not supposed to have things coming to my home but the fact is that i can not change details on his behalf and therefore my hands are pretty tight...

I am worried...and stressed and it is littrerally killing me...

 

Thankyou.

[Bookworm]

Oh yes, you can.

 

You can tell him to find another postal address or from next week anything coming here will get sent back with a "not known at this address".

 

He's not living there, there is no reason for his post to come to you anymore.

 

If you're going to survive the separation, you're going to have to get used to saying "no" to him a lot more, honey, otherwise, he'll probably be quite happy to using this house as a convenient second place for him. ;-)

[doodoo04]

I did send his bank statements back and other stuff but they came all back after a month... When i made the enquiry i was told that only the person himself can change the details by calling or going to the branch otherwise it will not happen.

 

Thankyou,

[Bookworm]

Yes, because he's not changed them. So you need to tell him to do it. Not you telling the bank and whoever, HIM. If he ever wants to get his post that is.

[doodoo04]

Dear bookworm, i wish all men were like you. I probably had the worst husband then... Believe you me if i tell you that i told him many times but because he stated he did not have an address where to forward them to he needed to use my one... The battles and the arguments over that and other stuff is uncountable but the sad reality is that now because of him i am in this mess and it will take time for me to get back to normality... I lost touch with it weeks ago and it is horrible...

 

Thank you bookworm.

[WelshMam2009]

I had the same thing with the electoral register. Every year I would cross his name off and send them letters saying he didn't live there. All I got was a letter back saying that only the named person could remove themselves from the list!!

 

You just have to keep doing what Bookworm said Doodoo and return every piece of mail addressed to him back to the sender as 'No longer at this address.'

 

He'll soon get the message if the bank freezes his account!!

[Bookworm]

Dear bookworm, i wish all men were like you.

No you don't... or maybe you do... I'm a woman.

[doodoo04]

LOL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sorry...i sort of thought that u were a man... Apologies....madam !!!!

[Bookworm]

No worries, I am used to it. Apparently, women who stand up for themselves and say it like it is are easily confused with blokes, go figure.

[doodoo04]

you go sister !!!!!!!