housing benefit fraud

[lucyshandbag]

my mum is staying with me for a few weeks. i am on income support and getting housing benefit, but housing benefit came ot ask me today if there was anyone staying with me and i said no. i know i should have told the truth but i panicked thinking they would stop my money. will they watch me now to see if she is staying??

[Ethel]

Has your mum got her own home, a fixed, permanent residence where she pays bills?

This makes a difference. You are entitled to have visitors stay. But if your mum is staying with you because she has no other home, then she is more than visiting.

My guess is a neighbour has reported you.

[lucyshandbag]

my mum has got her own home, she is selling it but the sale hasn't gone through yet. they said they had come to check with me because the lady from housing benefit came round last week to fill my new form in but i wasn't in and my mum answered the door in her dressing gown, so she told the benefit fraud that she thought someone was living here with me. is there a set amount of time she can stay and if they watch me will they do me for lying in the first place?

[Ethel]

Your mum should go back to her own home, just to be on the safe side.

[Will88]

They will be watching you making sure you are not defrauding thr system.

[Kathyan]

When I left my husband in 1990 I had to move in with my Mum who was on housing benefit. We informed the council and my Mum's benefit was reduced by �5 per week (which I paid) It is best to be upfront with things like this, because if they find out that you have been lying you will be in real trouble and could possibly lose your benefits.

[jason1980]

Hi...

This is not actually that big a deal. If it's not permanent, and you are worried, all you have to do is call them up and say your mum is with you for a few weeks. Your income support will not be stopped, but they may ask for a housing benefit contribution from your mum, which they ask for roughly �9 a week, as I've heard of this situation before.