Wrongly Accused

[thelewisgang]

I separated from my husband in December 2014 but we remained on good terms. I see him 3 or 4 times a year when I take the dog we both shared over to him for his little holiday. My husband rang me last night to say he had received a letter from his council. They had been contacted by a "third party" to inform them I still live there & the letter stated it was an offence not to tell the council of change of circumstances. He gets a reduced council tax amount as a sole occupant as I do too in the property I now live, 35 miles from him. He rang the number on the letter & was told to fill in the forms & return them. It appears they will also be writing to me as he gave them my details. They would not divulge anything on where this information came from & guess they won't tell me either. He is not unduly concerned but I find it nasty that someone has gone to lengths trying to make trouble. I have absolutely no belongings in his home.

[Mamyalynne]

This happened to my Daughter some years ago, just cooperate and if they want to visit either property it certainly speeded things up to let them as it did in her case.


Some folk are vindictive aren't they.

[thelewisgang]

thank you for your reply Mamyalynne. Yes, we will both fully cooperate with the council(s). I am under a different council to him. Some people have very sad lives & are, as you say, vindictive

[Buenchico]

Your post doesn't actually ask us to provide any specific information or advice, so I'm not entirely sure how to respond to it.

However if the council officials send their letter to your current address (rather to your husband's one), and you then to respond to it, they've automatically got some proof of where you're currently living.

I suggest filling in any form(s) they ask you to complete but also sending a covering letter, stating:
(a) when you moved out of your former shared home ;
(b) when you moved to your current address (if different) ;
(c) that you've not co-habited with your husband since the above date(s) ;
(d) that you're registerd on the electoral roll at your current address ;
(e) that you pay Council Tax to Blogsborough District Council (quoting the reference number on your Council Tax forms, if possible) ; and
(f) that you're willing to provide any additional evidence as proof of your current address (such as utility bills) upon request.

That should hopefully convince them that they're not only barking up the wrong tree but in the wrong forest.

[thelewisgang]

Thank you. It is damn annoying that someone has made these allegations to my husband's local authority but as he was told yesterday this information cannot be divulged. I can prove & give information when asked as to can my husband that we live separate lives & have done so since December 2014.

[davegosling]

You have nothing to worry about financially or legally. As for who made the false statement to your husband's local authority, you are highly unlikely ever to find out so I'd just forget about it.

[BestAdvice]

It may not be someone being vindictive....it could just be the council carrying out a general check on those people who qualify for the discount. Many people do cheat.....

[bhg481]

In all honesty, if someone saw you entering your old home with the dog, I think they're quite entitled to think that you moved back in and may be cheating the system.

[Peter Pedant]

// Your post doesn't actually ask us to provide any specific information or advice, so I'm not entirely sure how to respond to it. //

oh god I do
there is a document on proof of residence that I dug out a few weeks ago and if I find it again I will repost it

I am surprised that they rang your husband and didnt arrange a meeting
at this meeting they read out the letter
and ask ( him) to comment - take notes etc
I am not sure if they caution the lucky suspect

then they sort of wait and discuss it themselves and push the papers around and about

The nub of the document is that allegations of co-residence can be adequately rebutted by showing that they live elsewhere by

post - addressed envelopes
electoral roll
utility bills

I would supply examples to your husband
and he should send them onto the investigating council rather than wait for them to inquire

and wait

he should be able to get a copy of the text of the allegation as he is mentioned on it and no one else and so it is his data - he needs to make a subject access request to the council that has received the complaint (if he wants)

I had this with a tenant and her luffer - and we thought the complainant was the tenants mother who didnt like the look of her future son in law -

[EcclesCake]

Luffer? Is that the dried gourd some use to scrub their back in the shower?

[Peter Pedant]

and the neighbours volunteered:
if we are asked if he is a droogz dealer - we will say we think he is !

and I squealed - everyone knows the police are secretly videoing the close - a cat cant scratch its ear without something going ping! in a govt office somewhere

[EDDIE51]

Councils get this all the time, just tell them the truth. It's just a nasty person trying to cause trouble.

[Peter Pedant]

another one was dobbed in six times in two years (housing benefit) - even the council was showing fatigue on the subject - and in the end we said - we know who it is - the woman opposite whose sister works for the council.....

[albaqwerty]

there are some very nasty people out there.
(got 2 locally, both known to the local council but they have to be seen to follow-up)

Try not to worry too much (hah, silly comment!!)

Neither of you have anything to hide, so be confident in knowing the little trouble-maker will have egg on their face.

[davegosling]

"I am not sure if they caution the lucky suspect"

Really? Can anyone other than the police issue cautions?

[thelewisgang]

PETER PENDANT. You read my post wrong. They did not ring my husband...they wrote to him & he rang the number on the letter regarding this. He's now filled in the required documents & returned them to his local authority. BEST ADVICE. The letter stated they had been contacted by a "third party" so I don't think they were just randomly checking. BHG481 so you are saying I cannot visit my husband? I take the dog there & stay less than an hour. My car is on his drive for this time & a similar time when I go to collect the dog to bring him home with me

[bhg481]

thelewisgang - no, I am not saying that. I am merely pointing out that someone may have genuinely thought that you were cheating the system and reported you. That is something I have never done but I would if the situation arose. There is only so much money available for needy cases and I'm sure you would agree that money should not be given to cheats at the expense of genuine cases.

[Mamyalynne]

I can see your point if someone is coming or going everyday or most days bhg, but a visit 3 or 4 times a year - they may be 'entitled' to suspect but they should be a bit more careful in wasting the time and the money of their own Council.

[david small]

It's only a 25% discount I believe. I couldn't be bothered with council spying for the sake of three hundred quid a year. You get bled dry at every turn. I want nothing to do with officialdom, so I pay up and shut up for a peaceful life. Still hurts though.

[bhg481]

Mamy - absolutely right. I have been lucky in my life and have never had to claim benefits but I am fully in favour of them for those that need them. If I were going to report someone I thought was cheating the system I would make very sure that they were cheating before wasting the council's time.

[Mamyalynne]

I've never seen a discount as a benefit, guess it's a mindset thing - David I live alone as a Widow - I'll be blowed if I'm paying full whack when I don't have to.