in thinking this is fraud and not right?

[sweetkitty]

Yesterday I was talking to some family members first about the cost of nursery care and X (let's call her) was moaning how last week she had to pay £137 to the nursery. I was agreeing saying it is costly I know people who pay £1000 a month. She is lucky in that her MIL does half her childcare as well and she sends her DS to nursery when she's not at work to get a break.

Anyway Y (her partner) then says that he's lost his job, I'm commiserating with them, hope you find something soon etc he then says he has to go and sign on today. I said "how can you, you live with X she's working FT" turns out he has never legally moved out his mothers house! He moved into a flat with X 9 years ago and they bought another house 7 years ago (I thought together) but its all in her name. He's had periods of unemployment in that time and has claimed everytime saying he still lives at home.

I said you can't do that that's fraud but then they said but he's paid his taxes he's entitled. Turns out he claimed for ONE week in between jobs not that long ago, he finished one job knew he was starting another and still claimed.

Y said she would lovd him to be a SAHD but they can't afford it, he likes to go to the pub, buy clothes etc and she can't afford to give him money for that. I don't get the destitute thing as they then said they bought a new sofa and stuff for the house with his redundancy (bear in mind he claimed for that one week).

It just strikes me that they feel so entitled and are actually greedy. They aren't skint they have the usual Sky, iPhones, new car etc

[blankenburg]

Im pretty sure you can still claim jsa even if your partner is working.

[VinegarTits]

i thought the same as blankenburg

also, im pretty sure its none of your business

[sweetkitty]

Can you?

they were agreeing that it was fraudulent, if he could claim it legally why say he still lives with his mother?

So as a SAHM looking for a job I could claim JSA?

[sweetkitty]

Yes you are right it is none of my business, but you've never hocked your judges pants up at apparent benefit cheats?

[courtsareadisgrace]

If he's been paying National Insurance then surely he can get contribution based JSA?

[diddl]

Why can´t he sign on?

That´s assuming he is available & looking for work?
(If that´s still the criteria)

Surely any fraud would be anything she´s getting as a single resident & not declaring that he lives there when she should?

[fubbsy]

There are two types of JSA. One is 'income based' and he probably wouldn't be entitled if his partner works full time The other is 'contribution based' and he would be entitled if he had made enough NI contributions in the past.

[aldiwhore]

It was always the done thing to sign on between jobs in some trades...

They are guilty of telling you too much about stuff that is none of your business. You're guilty of judging them on the information they've offered.

My golden rule is to keep my private life private, and put my fingers in my ears and sing la la la when people want to tell me about theirs. Even close friends. Unless they need my help I don't want to know.

[VinegarTits]

you situation is different though, you have to be paying NI for so long to be entitled to JSA, are you paying NI?

no i havent, i tend to live to keep out of other peoples business whether they are claiming benefits or not

[Groovee]

You can sign on even if one person is full time. It also gives you your national insurance stamp.

But it is fraud to not say he's living with his partner and claim to live elsewhere.

[Lyrasilvertongued]

You can, in Scotland anyway, everything is means tested - my DH was made redundant, I work f/t and he was still able to claim.

[BoysWillGrow]

If you live with your partner and they work full time you can't claim JSA as they are suppose to support you.

[meditrina]

It's not necessarily fraud.

It could be contributions-based JSA, or he could be signing on in order to receive the NI credit even if he does not qualify for the cash element of income-based.

[usualsuspect]

He is entitled to JSA even if she works full time.

So keep your beak out.

[sweetkitty]

I stand corrected though, I know nothing about claiming etc but the way they were saying "oh look at us were claiming when we shouldn't be, even saying that he had to lie to the woman in the benefits office as he knew her and she was asking him if he was living in one town but he's supposed to be living in another".

If someone tells you they are claiming when they shouldn't be you kind of believe them.

I dont see why they have to say they aren't living together then

But as I've been told none of my business really. Always surprises me when people divulge the ins and outs of their finances.

[axure]

Report them on the benefit cheats hotline, the DSS can investigate whether it is fraud or not.

[Groovee]

If it's bothering you that much report them. The government want you to as it saves them money x

[sweetkitty]

I won't report them as others have said they probably are entitled to it and as I've been told its none of my business anyway. Either they are entitled or if not they can live with the guilt of maybe getting caught or whatever.

Just surprised me them bragging about claiming he has never lived there etc if your going to falsely claim why brag about it?

[nickelbabe]

"turns out he has never legally moved out his mothers house! He moved into a flat with X 9 years ago and they bought another house 7 years ago (I thought together) but its all in her name. He's had periods of unemployment in that time and has claimed everytime saying he still lives at home."
yeah, that's pretty much fraud.

you can't claim you're living at an address you don't live at. for any reasons.

[nickelbabe]

oh, but it's none of your business, but you know that, right?

You can claim contributions based JSA if your partner is working, but only for a certain length of time, and it's usually done if you have savings, not that you're trying to get extra money even though you have a working partner.

the Benefits Agency will class them as a couple, if they investigated him,they would find that he is lying about living at his parents' house (they do check up - I have had visits from the BA to check that I'm not a lesbian couple with my housemate when claiming before)

[nickelbabe]

PS: if you have any doubt, please do report them.

it might be none of your business, but really, it is everyone's business to fight benefit fraud.
if it's allowed and genuine, they've got nothing to worry about, have they.

[badtemperedaldbitch]

my DH works and i was made redundant and I got JSA for a while. We've been together for 22 years.

[sweetkitty]

So the opinions are divided between keep your beak out and report them :D

If he's entitled fair enough but why does he say he's a benefit cheat and that he has to say they are not living together then? Why not just say they are living together, unless it's for the council tax discount :D

Anyway I shall bow out, get my beak back where it belongs!

[DeepRedBetty]

Between you and your conscience OP. You can forget about it as some upthread have said, or do what axure suggests.

[DoJo]

Report them and let the benefits office investigate them - if they aren't doing anything wrong, then there's no need to lie about where he lives, and if they are then they are stealing money from every tax payer and legitimate benefits claimant in the country.