Is it ever OK to report anyone?

I don't know why people can't seem to understand nuance surrounding severity of thing to be reported in this thread.

Grassing is wrong unless the thing you are grassing about is very serious where people are at direct risk of harm such as child abuse is not as hard a concept to understand as some people in this thread are making it out to be. I don't understand why people are having such a hard time with this concept.

Traders are awful for doing this round our way, no place to sell their cars from so use up the side streets to park them, but fortunately the DVLA and Police do a sweep every so often and either remove or clamp them.

They also ticket those that get caught in the net that just haven't bothered with one or other of the legal requirements that go with owning a vehicle.

So sorry that happened to you, @Garlicked . Some people are just vile.

I've supported a few clients who've been investigated for benefits matters, and one (a vulnerable woman with a learning disability) nearly lost her home while her benefits were suspended. The decision to close her claims was overturned on appeal, but she never really got over it. It broke her.

She still lives in the same place and still has the neighbours that we think were probably the ones who reported her.

I hope that anyone considering reporting what they perceive to be benefit fraud is absolutely 100% sure of their facts before they do so. And there's no rule about someone staying over more than 3 nights a week!

Safeguarding (in any form ) yes I would and I have.

Benefits... I did twice inadvertently, as in I rang about something else but when providing details I mentioned other occupants.

I also report fly tipping.

I live in a private road so the SORN is valid, but one neighbours son has a crappy old Subaru which is SORNED but parked in a way that means if I want to park either on the drive adjacent to my house or opposite my house/in front of the garage (we have 2 drives), it’s 100x harder because of this car. I have to suck it up but if I wasn’t on a private road I’d 100% report it.

Yes. This is exactly what happens in my street. I wouldn't notice them if they weren't blocking spaces for weeks at a time.

I have an acquaintance who is a bit of a fantasist and every few years seems to pop up with versions of a story that I know isn't true. In the latest version, he claims he trained in a regulated profession (100% not true but it sounds good!). He was giving out advice on social media so I had no qualms about anonymously reporting him to the regulatory body.

I don't know if they contacted him but I know he's now deleted the posts and all seems to have gone quiet.

But ‘grassing is wrong’ right?

What if a child was being an abused or a woman was being battered. Is it more wrong to ‘grass’ than to do something about it.

Thats not grassing someone up for something that has little to no baring on anyone else.

I think that poster means a lot of cars just sit blocking and obstructing and are ever driven. Unless on private land these cars should be taxed and it’s a huge PITA when people just have old bangers lying around unused and unmoved.

It doesn’t matter that you’ve ‘never had the need’. Anyone decent with a scrap of morals and values - especially those with kids - wouldnt hesitate to say “yes of course I’d report child abuser”.

I find it odd that you wouldn’t just say “yes I’d report my GC being abused” because apparently you can’t know until you’ve been on that situation but you definitely know that you wouldn’t help out if you saw a child being murdered because “someone round these parts got stabbed for grassing”.

Extraordinary how all the teachers, social workers, family and friends who report abuse and make safeguarding referrals every day - you never hear of them being stabbed do you. But because a ‘grass’ (who was probably involved in criminal activity themsleves and are now saving their skin when caught) gets stabbed so you’d be happy to watch other children and families suffer

Do you mean you jot down people's number plates and look them up online to report? That is really odd. It's also information DVLA already have, because you got it from them

I'd never report someone for something like a TV licence. The way I see it is that people have the right to ignore the law and take the risk of being caught and the state has all sorts of powers to investigate and prosecute us- it doesn't need me helping out as a sort of volunteer enforcement officer.

It's completely different to reporting someone for eg child abuse (which I have done).

The DVLA know the car isn't taxed though. It's hardly a secret

Oh FFS Ive never had the need to deal with that situation . I've never once said id ignore child abuse. Please tell me where I've said that not your assumptions for your own agenda.

Grassing is wrong

Again - the scumbag’s charter. I can’t believe grown adults actually say this in seriousness.

Kids do not end up in care due to benefit sanctions. If anyone tells you that’s what happened to their kids they’re lying.

What if a child was being an abused or a woman was being battered. Is it more wrong to ‘grass’ than to do something about it.

If I definitely knew someone was gaily fiddling their benefits while clearly in no need, or e.g. subletting a council property while living elsewhere, I’d report them.

For not having a TV licence, no. As for car tax, I’d imagine they’d eventually be picked up anyway, now that so many police cars have automatic number plate recognition.

Grassing is wrong. I could never do that, I'm a big believer in minding your own business and live and let live.

The woman down the road getting sanctioned and her kids possibly ending up in care will have no baring on the amount the government would hand out to the normal people so its all pointless vindictiveness anyway. It would just increase their coffers to syphon off, hand out to their mates or give away to other countries, so no, I would never grass on someone trying to get a little touch.

I tend to just mind my own business

I've reported cars with no tax. That's because I live in a street where parking is a nightmare. If someone's not paying their tax, they don't get to take up a space as far as I'm concerned.

It why you don’t answer my questions - because anyone half decent would say “of course I’d report child abuse”.

I would give a VERY wide berth to anyone who wouldn’t immediately do this, you really aren’t safe to be around kids. I wonder if your DSs and DILs know you’d turn a blind eye if your GC were being abused.

Except you don’t deal with real situations because you’ve already said you’d ignore child abuse, even sexual abuse, and you’d do nothing about it because ‘snitches get stitches’ and for some reason, even though people make safeguarding referrals every day and remain completely safe, you’re scared of getting stabbed?

If a child or animal is being mistreated or is in danger - yes
Otherwise - no

I'm just bored of your whataboutery. I deal will real situations not hypothetical ones. Now just shut up for God's sake you are as boring as hell

Of course it is ok. The operative word is fraud.

If someone is claiming they are disabled and claiming full benefits, then using the money to nip off the Verbier skiing, of course I'd report them.

That money should be going to genuine claimants who desperately need more help.

TV licence, no, I wouldn't bother.