# Household Benefit Review: Student daughter uses our postal address lives elsewhere.



## netz (27 Nov 2012)

Hi all,

Last year I was awarded the household benefits package. I am on invalidity pension. 

I received a letter last week asking who lives with me and what their earnings are. I submitted the form back. 

Today I received a letter asking me about my eldest daughter who doesn't live with us. They want to know when she moved out, what her earnings are etc. etc. 
She doesn't live with us about 2 years now, but she uses our address as the address for anything important, eg car tax, college forms and stuff like that as she lives in an apartment block which has shared post and a lot of stuff goes missing. 

Now social are saying she lives here, and because of her income my household benefits package will be discontinued. 

Any help appreciated - Thanks


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## gipimann (27 Nov 2012)

Is she paying rent at her apartment?  Can she provide evidence by way of a tenancy agreement/lease?


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## netz (27 Nov 2012)

She is sharing an apartment with other college students - I think the tenancy is with one student, and she sub let it out to the other 3 that live there, so I dont think thats any use. They all share the rent, which is 800 per month, so they all pay 200 each, and they split the bills, which are all in the main tenants name.


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## STEINER (27 Nov 2012)

Hi,

as your daughter clearly doesn't live with you, what is happening is not right.  Find out precisely why DSP says your eldest daughter is living with you.  It is reasonable for a student to have important post going to parents' house.


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## Time (27 Nov 2012)

Most likely a result of local intelligence gathering.


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## Black Sheep (28 Nov 2012)

Not sure from your post, are DSP asking if your daughter still lives with you or  do they have some reason to believe that she still lives there.

Is it possible to get a letter from her landlord (or even her college) stating that she has been renting there since.....

BTW very many students use the family home address as they move their accommodation while in college many times. I think DSP would need to come up with a better reason than this. Assuming that you filled up the form correctly in the first place DSP are now suggesting that you lied on the application - Not good enough!


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## netz (28 Nov 2012)

I got a letter from her college stating her address (apartment) and that she is a full time student. I have sent this off, hope its good enough for them. I really feel at this stage that I am being harrassed by DSP. I fought with them all last year for a rise in Invalidity pension which after many many months I won, thought that would be the end of it, and now this. Really stressing me out, especially at the moment as I am having a particularly bad bout of illness, and I am housebound at the moment. I wish they would just leave me alone


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## elcato (28 Nov 2012)

Did you apply before and got refused on the grounds that your daughter was living with you or did you say that your daughter lived there previously on another form ? As Black Sheep says, it's a bit strange if you sent back the form without your daughters name on it, that they would suggest you lied.


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## netz (28 Nov 2012)

No I never applied before. My first application was about 2 years ago, she had moved out by then, so she wasnt on the forms, and I was granted household package. This has come out of nowhere really, and they referred to her by name too, form specifically said is (name of daughter) living with you etc etc. 

All I can think of she recently changed her car, in the last few weeks and new log book came to this address - its actually still sitting in an envelope as eldest daughter hasnt dropped in for a week or so - would this be connected in any way?  Other than that a row with a neighbour who really has it in for me might be trying to get me in trouble? 

Either way, another fight with DSP on the cards. I might contact Ombudsman as I feel these guys are really picking on me!!!


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## elcato (28 Nov 2012)

> Either way, another fight with DSP on the cards. I might contact Ombudsman as I feel these guys are really picking on me!!!


I think you are overeacting. Your daughter does not live there so just state so and give them the necessary details. If SW are given information they should and have to seek clarification. There's no conspiracies here.


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## Time (28 Nov 2012)

I wonder is it to do with the transfer of student registration data to the social? 

You could always FOI the dept and see what info they hold in relation to this event.


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## seantheman (28 Nov 2012)

What about the electoral register, would your daughter still use home address for this? If so, would DSW be accessing this as 'proof' your daughter is still at home


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## Time (28 Nov 2012)

Quite, I did not think of that. 

But the counter argument is that she may not be able to register elsewhere being a student. 

The problem in these situations is that the onus is on the claimant to prove their case not the dept to prove theirs.


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## Berni (28 Nov 2012)

There is nothing sinister in where they are getting info about your daughter.

Their database has a record for each individual, and their last known address.
When they looked at everyone listed at your address, her details would be returned too, as she hasn't told them she moved.

So they now need to clarify if there was an error or omission on the form you returned before processing your claim further.


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