I cant go into details right now, but I believe less people would be accused of fraud if what constitutes a change in circumstances was made abundantly clear to claimants of housing benefit. Why can't all claimants be given a change of circumstances form which should be filled in by the claimant should any reportable changes occur. A clear list of potential reportable changes should be available to tenants as part of their tenancy agreement. This would cut down on innocent mistakes being made by the tenant and would stop unnecessary accusations of fraud,and free up expensive court time. I have trawled the internet desperately trying to find a complete list of changes in circumstances to no avail. This means that a benefit officer or rent provider has the ball firmly in their court leaving the claimant open to accusations.
In case you are not aware, your real name appears to be showing in the forum, if you want to change this then follow the instructions in the following FAQ
My full name is showing, how can I stop it? I suspect that the problem with a list is that it will have to very very long to cover all circumstances or claimants will be able to simply say it wasn't on the list so I didn't think I needed to report it.
Gordon
Nothing on this board constitutes legal advice - always consult a professional about specific problems
