Section 112 | False representations for obtaining benefit etc
From legislation.gov.uk
26 October 2026
(1)If a person for the purpose of obtaining any benefit or other payment under the relevant social security legislation whether for himself or some other person, or for any other purpose connected with that legislation—F1F2
(a)makes a statement or representation which he knows to be false; or
(b)produces or furnishes or knowingly causes or knowingly allows to be produced or furnished, any document or information which he knows to be false in a material particular,
he shall be guilty of an offence.
(1ZA)A person is guilty of an offence if, for the purpose of obtaining a non-benefit payment for themselves or another person, they—F3
(a)make a statement or representation which they know to be false, orF3
(b)produce or furnish, or knowingly cause or knowingly allow to be produced or furnished, any document or information which they know to be false in a material particular.F3
(1A)A person shall be guilty of an offence if—F4
(a)there has been a change of circumstances affecting any entitlement of his to any benefit or other payment or advantage under any provision of the relevant social security legislation;F4
(b)the change is not a change that is excluded by regulations from the changes that are required to be notified;F4
(c)he knows that the change affects an entitlement of his to such a benefit or other payment or advantage; andF4
(d)he fails to give a prompt notification of that change in the prescribed manner to the prescribed person.F4
(1B)A person is guilty of an offence under this section if—F4
(a)there has been a change of circumstances affecting any entitlement of another person to any benefit or other payment or advantage under any provision of the relevant social security legislation;F4
(b)the change is not a change that is excluded by regulations from the changes that are required to be notified;F4
(c)he knows that the change affects an entitlement of that other person to such a benefit or other payment or advantage; andF4
(d)he causes or allows that other person to fail to give a prompt notification of that change in the prescribed manner to the prescribed person.F4
(1C)In a case where subsection (1C) of section 111A above applies, the recipient is guilty of an offence if—F4
(a)he knows that the change affects an entitlement of the claimant to a benefit or other payment or advantage under a provision of the relevant social security legislation;F4
(b)the entitlement is one in respect of which he has a right to receive payments to which the claimant has, or (but for the arrangements under which they are payable to the recipient) would have, an entitlement; andF4
(c)he fails to give a prompt notification of that change in the prescribed manner to the prescribed person.F4
(1D)In a case where that subsection applies, a person other than the recipient is guilty of an offence if—F4
(a)he knows that the change affects an entitlement of the claimant to a benefit or other payment or advantage under a provision of the relevant social security legislation;F4
(b)the entitlement is one in respect of which the recipient has a right to receive payments to which the claimant has, or (but for the arrangements under which they are payable to the recipient) would have, an entitlement; andF4
(c)he causes or allows the recipient to fail to give a prompt notification of that change in the prescribed manner to the prescribed person.F4
(1E)Subsection (1F) of section 111A above applies in relation to subsections (1C) and (1D) above as it applies in relation to subsections (1D) and (1E) of that section.F4
(1F)For the purposes of subsections (1A) to (1D) above a notification of a change is prompt if, and only if, it is given as soon as reasonably practicable after the change occurs.F4
(1G)For the purposes of subsections (1A) to (1F), references to—F5
(a)a person being entitled to, or having a right to receive, a payment under a provision of the relevant social security legislation include references to a person being entitled to, or having a right to receive, or qualifying for, a non-benefit payment, andF5
(b)a person’s entitlement to a payment under a provision of the relevant social security legislation include references to a person’s entitlement to, or qualification for, a non-benefit payment.F5
(2)A person guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale, or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months, or to both.F6
(3)RepealedF7