I distinctly remember saying, on this forum, that savings under £8000 don't count against you for means tested benefits. Anyone in the position of having more than that should split their money up into several accounts and be prepared to lie their heads off. The Job Centre Plus cannot check every branch of every bank in the country. They have to rely on people telling them where their bank accounts are and then they will ask to see statements and savings books as proof. Simply don't tell them where all the money is.
Of course once you have told them you are bolloxed unless you use your savings/redundo to pay a large clump off your mortgage and then use that equity in the property to extend your mortgage when times improve. I personally have had battle royal with these idiots when they asked me to prove I didn't have any more bank accounts ~ how can anyone prove a negative? Ultimately I demanded that they prove I have and, of course, they couldn't.
Not that I am an expert or anything 
Thank you M'Lud.
My client, Mr Snoopy, has described a form of fraud explained to him by an unknown man in a public house.
Mr Snoopy is a man of good character, a pillar of the community and Editor of the parish magazine.
It is unthinkable that he would actually carry out anything described above.
