Should I report benefit fraud?

Would DWP seriously launch a benefit investigation merely based on a random tip off that may not even be genuine? Informing someone that they’re under investigation without even having grounds to support an investigation seems ridiculous and a really inefficient use of resources? I can understand if they have genuine reasons to suspect fraud but causing someone a whole tonne of stress over what may be just a malicious and untruthful allegation is beyond belief? That in itself is a total waste of money.

I think people like this should be called out.

Of course you should report them, they are stealing from a limited pool and from people who deserve the money more. They are basically putting their hand into the pocket of the vulnerable and taking from them.

And of course benefit fraud exists on a massive massive scale.

I wouldn't go by mumsnet's moral compass of turning a blind eye to financial wrong doing. Theres another thread at the moment where effectively stealing money is being encouraged by the majority. You can bet if it was a deadbeat dad, he would be told to do the right thing financially. Benefits cheats, not so much on here.

@Crikeyalmighty in agreement with what you’ve said re. The difficulties of organising work (in lower paid jobs) around school and issues with people moving to social housing because of the cost of private rentals.

I was on another thread trying to explain the stress of handling work around school drop offs/pick ups, which is much different to the nursery years where you can drop them off as early as 7am and pick up 6.30pm…. Yes you can do early drop off in some schools and after schools or other childcare…. But then they start to fail academically as you’ve no time to do homework after getting them home 6.30… when they still need fed/bathed…. Nevermind that it’s expensive and may be beyond the budget of some…The person in a high paid managerial position went on about flexi time and working from home….. Jane and Joe who work at Tesco (other workplaces are available) do not have this luxury. They get shift patterns with no flexibility and they change week to week… so there isn’t always room to do another job or take on overtime due to the unpredictability and trying to make it to the school gate.

Re. Ludicrous sums being paid to private rentals. I am in favour of the policy proposal put forward in 2022 where housing benefit would be able to be used for mortgage purposes - simply because we know that a lot of it is currently going to line the pockets of private landlords due to shortages in social housing. Which is expensive for the tax payer and unethical. The money would be better served to lift people and their descendants out of poverty by going towards an asset for them. Rather than making already wealthy people more wealthy on account of poorer people’s unfortunate circumstances.

It doesn't sound at all made up. I've known many people who are very open about how they cheat the system. They don't see a problem with it, don't expect others to, and can't imagine that any one would do anything about it. Why would they hide it?

Nonsense. I live in a housing association flat and get benefits myself. I still think this sounds made up.

You'd be surprised. They talk about it, as they know that people are like all the MNers saying "Mind your own business".

It's hilarious that people think this is made up, that it can't be true. I think its middle class types with no real world experience....those of us who grew up on council estates amongst the benefit cheats know better!!

@LakieLady I do wonder too. They've been claiming for many many years & have 2 very well controlled health conditions & in receipt of full severe disability payments & never have a review/medical. They were coached by another actual convicted fraudster who knows how to play the system in what to say, act like, dress, to use mobility aids & this person filled the application forms out also. Any system is open to abuse, it just doesn't seem right when I have 2 other disabled friends who really cannot work, put through hell on pip reviews

It's also why social housing is so important , so that ludicrous sums aren't having to be paid out to cover off private rents- particularly in higher priced /higher demand areas of the country

I agree. Nearly everyone I know socially who gets benefits gets them solely because of unaffordable rents. I can only think of three friends/family where this doesn't apply - one is a pensioner on pension credit, one has severe mental health problems and the third is a f/t carer for a disabled child. The rest are working people on low-average incomes, but paying rents that are unaffordable.

One problem is that within lower paid occupations there is an absolute ton of part time, casual and zero hours work. As others have said it isn't always as easy as just getting more hours. If you get 2 jobs, often they can clash hours wise or one will want you to do evenings or early mornings and if you have no local help or a partner on shift work- and have kids- that can be hard to work around too. Nor is it as easy as 'just get a WFH job' most of these will want some experience in that sector , a lot need you to have your own high end equipment and there is often a fair bit of competition- especially if it doesn't require a heavyweight skillset. once you have kids at school age nor do you have the option of 6.15 pick ups at nursery, 8am drop offs etc- and many people too have shiftworking partners. Obviously all these things are bigger issues if you have children. But there are also a fair few women (and somehow it mainly falls on the women) who due to lack of social care provision have some caring duties (or feel responsible) for elderly parents and are having to nip by daily. It's a totally different market out there for valuable , but lower paid work to what many on here are used to and that's why pushing people into work very much has to be a case by case situation- not an overarching policy. It's also why social housing is so important , so that ludicrous sums aren't having to be paid out to cover off private rents- particularly in higher priced /higher demand areas of the country

I'd love to know how these people manage it.

Eligibility for all disability/ill health benefits for working age people is now determined by assessments by health professionals. I've done literally hundreds of these applications over the years. Around 50% of them are turned down by the DWP, and have to be appealed at a tribunal. So far, I have won every single appeal I have submitted. This isn't in any way exceptional, the success rate for the whole team is over 99%, and the outcomes for the previous project I worked on were very similar.

If it's so hard for people to get the benefits they're entitled to, even with strong supporting evidence from medical professionals, how on earth do so many people manage to scam the system?

If only I knew how they do it, I could maybe save myself a lot of work by not having to do so many damn appeals.

I have read the post. Yes.

I do not refer to the woman in the OPs post but to your broad comment about getting more hours and making it sound pretty easy to do.

I know people who work part time and despite their best efforts can not get more hours.

Regarding the female in the original post - yes I agree she could look for more hours but it's unlikely to be instant, or able to work around her family commitments.

I have previously said I would likely report the female especially as she is being so brass necked about it. I just wouldn't assume it would be easy for her to make more money through more hours.

@OnNaturesCourse have you read OP's posts?
This woman works part time because she can afford to, even without the benefits they're claiming.

Not always.

I understand it is wrong but people can't always just get more hours. In a ideal world they would be able to but its not click of the fingers like that in the real world.

@OnNaturesCourse it is for benefit cheats. It's not for people claiming benefits genuinely.

Thing with benefit fraud in certain places is that people do just come out with it because they presume everyone else on their network and locality is doing the same. It's like a conversation back in 2015 when a quite elderly relative was discussing Brexit and presumed, as everyone there was 50 plus , that we would all think/feel like he did.

A freind has just been caught scamming the benefits system. Been claiming full disabilities for years incl motobility scheme vehicle, council tax, rent etc whilst running a lucrative business requiring daily hard physical work.The dwp rang & said it will now be passed to the fraud team. This was a few weeks back so maybe it's been dropped but seems pretty likely it was their ex partner who was also on benefits & helping to run the business for ££ cash, things went very sour in the relationship & the report was made.

Wrong. I'm from a low income area and get benefits myself.

Honestly, report of you are sure of your facts.

Don't kid yourself that money saved will go to those in need though, it doesn't and it won't.

A lot of my work time is spent with those in need trying to make sure they get what they are entitled to....and it often isn't much.

@Greeksummer Please see @LakieLady post above - if he has everything registered at and pays bills at his parents address then prosecution is unlikely.

How long have they been together, is the child his?

😂😂😂😂😂😂 no love some of us just realise that there’s a gap between perceived reality of someone determined to find something to complain about and what actually happens behind closed doors.

I’m perfectly happy to let my neighbours think I’m an unemployed benefit cheat, oh and a drug dealer apparently as I always have a new car. It amuses me. As every time I get reported it goes nowhere. Why? Because I’m not actually claiming UC or child benefit, and I work full time from home and it’s a company car / car allowance. And it’s perfectly legal to work whilst being disabled - in fact it’s encouraged.

me working doesn’t change the fact I can’t walk and that I won’t live to see retirement.

it also amuses me that these holier than thou types are also the most likely to commit other types of fraud / dishonesty and not think anything of it. Such as getting a blue badge that they feel entitled to for their age yet go hill walking regularly, and opting in to every tax saving loophole they can find including avoiding inheritance tax etc.

m still fraud just posh people fraud, which in this country seems to be actively encouraged

I suspected this, too. Keep your distance OP. I sympathise with your feelings of injustice but it’s still only hearsay.

YANBU ! It makes my stomach boiled hearing our hard working income tax (£2800 last month) is spent on scams like that.

As I said upthread it’s endemic. People with questionable morals for sure but when I’ve ever heard of anyone threatening to report them they’re are usually the ones who are struggling financially and come across as jealous, rightly or wrongly. Being on benefits isn’t much of a life is it BUT if someone is earning a good wage PLUS claiming; well that’s an utter piss take

benefit fraud boils my piss! I'd report it all day long. There are people who need that money, then there are the shitheads who game the system, commit fraud and give everyone on benefits a bad rep