Have you ever reported someone for benefit fraud?

Violence? Abuse? I'd report like a shot.

Policing benefit policy voluntarily while the wealthy merrily decimate as much social/national assets as they fancy?
Come on.
Does anyone really believe that grassing up single Mothers (they never grass on heroic single dads) or bubbling on Horace because he has a mobility car and goes to Skegness, how does that help anything? Apart from extra deprivation.

grassing

lol what are you? 13 years old?

I wish I had.

I knew someone (middle class btw) who intentionally encouraged her husband (self employed) to pretend he was earning very little (so paid no tax) so she could claim working tax credits (a significant amount at the time)and give up her job.

Their accountant told them to pack it in. I wish I had reported, she told everyone what she was doing because she was so ‘clever’.

I was reported by my ex or his new girlfriend.
They stopped my money for 5 weeks, I had two children under 3 and was in the throws of being in hospital treated for HG. It was the most stressful thing ever and seeing as my ex doesn't pay money towards his child I cannot begin to understand why he'd leave his child with absolutely nothing.
Of course I was completely innocent but it wasn't worth the stress

My dh reported someone once. They were on benefits, single mother but also working cash in hand in a chip shop, and a bar and selling stolen/fake goods as well. She was sanctioned, but still dodgy.

I bet there are very few middle class people grassing up their mates for tax evasion

According to some of the arguments on here, this would be just as ‘wrong’ as reporting someone for benefit fraud.

What SweetSummerchild said.

Might be thinking too deep here but what im going to say could well happen.

Supposing I reported someone and they got their money stopped..No questions asked (because, Unlike sicko twatting paedos. Benefit claimants are guilty until proven innocent.)
The person took their own lives and the lives of their children. I don't think I'm.being OTT in saying that. You hear of these things happening.
I wouldn't want that on my conscience.
Don't get me wrong if it's someone with a boss job causing around in a conevertable living in a five bedroom house with a pool and electric gates going to the Seychelles and on a luxury cruise every year and
I knew for an absolute fact he is committing BF. Then Yes I might probably would report them. I mean that's a tad different to a single mum doing it because her child needs a new pair of shoes.

If they aren't doing anything wrong then nothing will happen. Innocent people don't panic

I agree up to a point, but things aren't helped by the foot dragging and general incompetence of the DWP, housing benefit offices, etc, while the enquiries are made. That can make the lives of possibly innocent people very unpleasant, which is why I'd only report if I was pretty darned sure of the facts

As for those who are obviously cheating but have "other things going on" ... sorry, but no. We all have difficulties from time to time and could probably invent a good sob story if we chose, but that doesn't make stealing right

I just find it incredible that normal working class people in varying states of being on their knees will still grass each other up. Its the worst aspect of modern society

That’s it, in a nutshell! I bet there are very few middle class people grassing up their mates for tax evasion, yet the working class are being encouraged to fight over scraps. George Orwell’s brave new world.

Claiming benefits fraudulently is a crime against hard working tax payers who are funding it and those who brag about it should definitely be reported. The problem is they are never made to pay the full amount back by disposal of their assets to recoup the costs adequately.

I've only known one person commit benefit fraud (a very close relative) I didn't report because the repercussions on my family if I reported would be violent and vicious.
She received a very very large inheritance, and keeps it in her son's name (he has the same initial) so she can continue to claim housing benefit.

I am very much in favour of benefits and would generally err on the side of caution when suggesting someone isn't entitled to them - we rarely know others true circumstances. But this person is seriously taking the piss.

exactly Branleuse...

If i ever suspected somebody of grassing up a friend of theirs to the authorities for anything other than violence or safety reasons then i would give that person a very wide berth. I just find it incredible that normal working class people in varying states of being on their knees will still grass each other up. Its the worst aspect of modern society
No community

"Why wouldn't you report someone that is stealing though?"

because you don't know the facts and because a society that has been trained to spy on their neighbours is scary and sad.

"if you knew 100% that your neighbour was not paying any tax on the revenue they got from renting a house because they didn't declare it. After all, reporting them would be contributing to the culture of demonising genuine claimants..."

How is that anything to do with benefit claims?

No I haven’t. I know someone who is claiming benefits but doesn’t declare her partner lives there. He’s abusive, cheats on her, spends his wages on drugs and knows she won’t leave because she has no family. They have way more luxuries than I could ever afford but I wouldn’t report her because her life’s shit enough as it is and I wouldn’t want her and her children to be financially reliant on such an abusive person.

We were reported. Each time it was fake. DWP actively encouraged us to take the perpetrator to court for harassment and made all calls (17 of them from the same person as well as a couple from the same number) available to the police. It ended up with us having to move and exdh being in a mental health unit for a few weeks. Bastards!

Why wouldn't you report someone that is stealing though? I would report her if she was claiming something that could benefit other more deserving families.

"I know someone who did report their friend"

I think they need a dictionary to look up the word friend...I wouldnt do that to my worse
enemy. Let alone my friends.
That's he/she snake behaviour

I think people report because they are nasty and vindictive. They can dress it up all they like, by claiming moral outrage at the system being cheated, but they are only doing it out of jealousy or spite. If anyone wants to report someone else, look in the mirror first and ask if you’ve never ever been just a tiny bit over the drink driving limit, drove a little bit too fast, walked away from a shop and discovered you were undercharged, or worse. Have you reported yourself? After all those things are against your ‘morals’. Stop dressing it up as your duty, you’re just nasty.

No, I’m not claiming benefits, as I’m lucky enough not to need them, but I wouldn’t wish a life of benefits on anyone and I’m disgusted that people want to report someone, because of their suspicions. Go ahead and fuck up their life, but have the fucking courage to tell them you did it, if you’re so certain that you’re in the right. Anonymous touts are cowards.

I would report. I don't care how difficult their situation is - if they are not entitled to the money legally then that's the end of the discussion. Don't care if their mum/gran/brother is ill, if they're depressed or just need a bit of time off or whatever. Their circumstances don't make a bit of difference- if it's an illegal claim, then it's an illegal claim and I would report it

Again, it all depends...

Would I report a single mum claiming to live alone but has a boyfriend who ‘stays over’ several nights a week and is working a job on NMW? No.

Would I report a man claiming ESA and HB for a ‘bad back’ whilst running a lucrative landscape gardening business and simultaneously not paying any child maintenance? Damn right I would.