Question about names changes, benefits and tenacies etc

[obNOXious]

Hi, One of my current tenants, a nice but slightly gormless girl, might potentially be in some bother regarding her name change and I wondered if there was anyone who could clarify something for me please.This all occured a couple of years ago, but is only now potentially causing any trouble.
She cohabited with a right muppet and lived for many years under his name, she then decided that she was going to leave him and changed her name so that he wouldn't find her. Notwithstanding that he talked her into staying but she never reverted offically to her other name, although she'd studpidly not informed the benefits agency of the change anyway. She's not claimed anything she's not entitled to but has been usuing two names somewhat simultaneously. This has only just come to light as her tenancy with me is in her changed name but her claim for housing benefit in her 'proper' name. She is not making simultaneous claims elsewhere and as far as I can see has done nothing really illegal as she's not defrauded anyone. The police now want to talk to her muppet of a partner regarding some criminal damage that he's alleged to have committed and have asked him which name she is known by as this relates to a house that they rented together previously to her being my tenant.
My essential question is ' Is it legal to be known by more than one name as long as she has not defrauded anyone or claimed anything she's not entitled to?'
Many thanks in advance.

[sara3]

for benefit purposes, they are paid based on a person's national insurance number, so unless she has hijacked someone else's ID, I would think that would be fine.

I believe it's okay to be known by whatever name you fancy, but you can't give false info for the purpose of defrauding, or to the Police.

[obNOXious]

Thanks Sara that's what i thought more or less, but these thigns are tricky and she's petrified now that idiot bf or ex bf or whatever he is today will get her into trouble. She's a nice girl just a bit of a victim of her own lack of savvyness and of being with her partner.

[sara3]

I can't see that she's done anything illegal, although the Police may have more info than you know about. maybe she's just the victim of her own stupidity!

[uno.who]

It's not illegal to use more than one name as long as you don't try to obtain any goods or services (or benefits) by deceipt.

The Police don't actually care what name you identify yourself by as long as it's not an attempt to pervert the course of justice (i.e. passing yourself off as another real person in an attempt to evade prosecution or claim driving entitlements). They will accept the name you give and that will be the "filename" you are always known by. Anything else is logged as an alias.

[themas]

What the muppet ought to do is tell the police that she is known by two names, & give both of them. If he does, that should be the end of it. but, being a muppet, will he?

If the police want to question her it should only be to confirm her name(s), & all she has to do is tell them the truth.

[fredpuli47]

If you think about it you'll find that people are using two names perfectly legally all the time. Cherie Booth is the name Mrs T Blair uses professionally but she is Mrs Blair the rest of the time.All right, there one is her maiden name, but there are others e.g writers and actors who keep business bank accounts in their 'professional name' and other personal accounts in their original name.

It's not using two names that's ilegal, only that using them for fraud is. You can use whatever name you like,or more than one, subject to that. This girl has done nothing illegal and has not benefitted from a mistaken payment and, as pointed out, her NI number is the key, not whatever surname she has or is using