benefit fraud

[dave horburysmith]

Hi was just wondering if anyone can offer me any advice.

 

I split up from my wife 18 months ago and now have my own flat a couple of miles away. We have 4 kids together and get on a lot better now. At 3.15 every day i meet my ex wife on the way home from school with the kids and go to her house with the kids to help sort em out and get em ready for karate.

 

I do this 5 nights a week as karate is 2 trips due difference in kids ages when theyv finished at karate i take them home and help get em ready for bed and put them to bed. I then go home again around 8.30 in the evening then at weekends we meet up to take them for days out.

 

6 weeks ago my ex wife recieved a letter from a compliance officer calling her in for an interview (we have the interview taped on my own device). To cut a long story short she basically said i was living with my ex wife and weve got 28 days to move back in together or fraud will get involved and sit on her front step.

 

28 days have passed and the matter was passed to fraud, however we recieved a letter from the same compliance officer today saying she wants to come and look around my ex wifes house next week. My ex wife phoned this person to say why are you coming round when i did an interview 6 weeks ago, and shouldn't fraud now be investigating the case as 28 days as elapsed. The woman's response was "FRAUD HAS DECIDED NOT TO INVESTIGATE AS THERES NO EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST I AM LIVING THERE" which begs the question why does she want to look around her house and is she allowed to considering fraud says theres no evidence to back it up, is she harassing us?

 

I have my own flat where i sleep 7 nights a week i eat all my meals there and all my post goes there there is a council tenancy under my name, cctv on my flats which will show me entering my block of flats every night and coming in and out during the day the resident caretaker knows me and see's me every day and all my neighbours know me. I also have a lodger who can vouch i live at my flat so on what basis can they say my ex wife is committing benefit fraud and to demand to search her house?

 

My ex wife is now saying i should just pick the kids up friday and have them till sunday but why should i lose out on seeing so much of my children growing up when we have done nothing illegal? Please could anyone help me out? Thank you.

Edited November 30, 2012 by antone
Readability

[Bazooka Boo]

I don't really understand what you want help with?

 

If you could paragraph your post it makes it easier for others to read.

 

So they claimed you were committing fraud? Then decided you weren't so stopped any investigation?

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

You been lumbered with a ''jobsworth'' me thinks her colleagues in the farudt dept have turned her suggestion that you were doing wrong down and she doesn't like it.

 

Does the dept know you have a lodger??

[dave horburysmith]

dept knows i have a lodger and fraud investigation say no evidence to say im living there but the woman from compliance still wants to pursue it so what can i do to stop her harrassing us

[Bazooka Boo]

Make a formal complaint to the head of the dept.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

Perhaps a complaint of vexatious behaviour.harassment is needed here, you would need to complain to the manager of her department.

 

A suugestion;

 

Dear Sir or Madam

 

Ref: as they use.

 

FORMAL COMPLAINT

 

I have recently been informed that my benefit claim had been invetigated and I was found not to be to be fraudulent, however Ms.XXX XXXXXX of your department now insists that she needs to visit my home ''to look round'', there was absolutely no evidence of wrong doing on my behalf and I now beleive Ms. xx xxxxx actions are vexatious and harassing and I will not permit any such visit.

 

I trust this matter will be suitably investigated if not I shall contact my MP for help.

 

Try that.

[dave horburysmith]

thanks ill get onto writing a letter for postin in the morning

[abc123def]

Seems strange that they have proceeded with any investigation without strong evidence however they have to investigate some things immediately. It is normal for the LA to do property checks to see who is living in a property, it has happened to me. Someone (I assume, neighbours) said I was under occupied and so someone came around and had a snoop and all was well. If you have nothing to hide, just let them have a look around and then they are likely to leave you alone and if anyone else should then complain they will take no notice and leave you alone.

 

If you go to the house daily though, and they know this, they may well be on high alert and may 'watch' you as it is not at all uncommon for a separated couple who get on that well to reconcile and fail to update agencies. I think it is wise (though legally not essential) for you to have contact with your children away from their main residence. It does make like easier.

 

I would just say though that people are successfully found guilty of fraud even if one party is known to be sleeping elsewhere, as being a couple if many things.

[Bazooka Boo]

Let us know how you get on Dave.

[Stan Lee]

[...] Perhaps a complaint of vexatious behaviour [...]

 

Brigadier, sorry if this is getting away from the topic but vexatious is a great word. I salute you, sir!

[jadeybags]

Compliance just do the donkey work usually, can't make decisions, wouldn't worry too much there. But deffo do the complaint. Don't stop being involved with your children. Years back they didn't have so many targets, lots of us were left alone to be good separated parents without these people trying to stick a spanner in the works. My kids dad stopped over every other weekend whilst I went clubbing & stopping in cheap hotels & we still had a joint bank account until about 2 years ago. No one batted an eyelid.

[Stan Lee]

My kids dad stopped over every other weekend whilst I went clubbing & stopping in cheap hotels.

 

Ah, the days of bad clubs and travelodges.

 

At least you bothered with hotels; my mate Amy would plan on shacking up with practically anyone in order to have a bed for a night, which I always thought was a bit on the risky side (especially given how cheap the budget end of the hotel market is).

 

Anyway, no more off topic for me!

[Lillibelle]

I'm sorry,,but HELL would freeze over before I consented to anyone 'having a look around' my home when there is no reason to. I would do exactly what the folks on here say and write a strongly worded letter of complaint and don't let it drop until you are satisfied it has been dealt with properly. No way on Earth should you stop being so involved in your childrens lives,,it's nice to see seperated parents putting their differences aside and jointly raising their children.

 

Good luck.

[LaughingGirl]

When I lived in Southampton, a home visit was part of the protocol for claiming housing benefit. It's one of several reasons I didn't claim for it, even though we really needed the extra money. I'd rather eat beans on toast for every meal than be treated like I'm a criminal just because I'm on a relatively low income and have the temerity to dare live in an affluent area. Solved that problem by moving back up north.

 

I think your involvement in your children's lives is absolutely commendable, and it saddens me that anyone would try to put pressure on you to reduce the amount of time you spend with them. I hope everything pans out for you in a positive way. Good luck to you.