Page 12 | Should I report my cousin's benefit fraud?

x2boys · 21/02/2025 12:07

ThisOldThang · 21/02/2025 12:01

What I don't understand about the system is why having anxiety means you get more money than simple Job Seekers Allowance.

I think PIP payments should go to people that have clear incurred costs due to their disability (e.g. Your physical disability means that you have to take more taxis or you're blind and you need to care for a guide dog) or they have 'visible' conditions that prevent them working, such as terminal cancer, brain damage, Downs Syndrome, severe epilepsy, etc.

I just don't see why things like ADHD or mental health results in extra money.

A diagnosis of anxiety wouldn't on its own entitle anyone to PIP
It's how the condition impacts a person
So if the anxiety is so bad someone can't care for themselves cook for themselves ,clean for themselves, and travel independently, than they should be entitled to an award .

ThisOldThang · 21/02/2025 12:02

LadyKenya · 21/02/2025 11:05

It would appear that some of the people saying how easy it is to claim PIP, have no firsthand experience of it themselves. It is always something like,Gary down the pub, who is there every night drinking, gets it for saying he can't leave the house, and he has anxiety!!! He was given a free car as well.🙄

Perhaps that's because there are so many people like Gary who are known to be abusing the system?

ThisOldThang · 21/02/2025 12:01

What I don't understand about the system is why having anxiety means you get more money than simple Job Seekers Allowance.

I think PIP payments should go to people that have clear incurred costs due to their disability (e.g. Your physical disability means that you have to take more taxis or you're blind and you need to care for a guide dog) or they have 'visible' conditions that prevent them working, such as terminal cancer, brain damage, Downs Syndrome, severe epilepsy, etc.

I just don't see why things like ADHD or mental health results in extra money.

LadyKenya · 21/02/2025 11:05

It would appear that some of the people saying how easy it is to claim PIP, have no firsthand experience of it themselves. It is always something like,Gary down the pub, who is there every night drinking, gets it for saying he can't leave the house, and he has anxiety!!! He was given a free car as well.🙄

Jaehee · 21/02/2025 10:27

People who say it’s easy to get should have a browse of the Scope forum.

Miley1967 · 21/02/2025 10:00

x2boys · 21/02/2025 09:51

I don't think some posters realise that there are lots of people with disabilities that are not entitled to PIP
Because its about how the disability impacts a person
If someone's can essentially self care ,cook for themselves ,clean for themselves and travel independently then they wouldn't be entitled regardless of wether they have a disability.

Yes exactly. So many people seem to think you get awarded it based on a diagnosis.

Anonforthis58 · 21/02/2025 09:54

Butterfly292828 · 20/02/2025 23:40

Oh thanks for that info, I’ll pass that on.
granddaughter helps to shower her but she works full time. I personally feel she needs carers in to help her get washed & dressed.
is there someone that could help her fill in these forms? I wouldn’t know where to start tbh. Thanks

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That’s not correct. AA is 2 parts - daytime care and night-time care. You don’t have to be actually receiving the care, it’s based on whether you need care. So if you’ve struggle with the given activities through the day and night, you would be awarded enhanced rate. If you only struggled through the day you’d be awarded standard rate. This is obviously subject to them accepting your conditions and difficulties.

x2boys · 21/02/2025 09:51

I don't think some posters realise that there are lots of people with disabilities that are not entitled to PIP
Because its about how the disability impacts a person
If someone's can essentially self care ,cook for themselves ,clean for themselves and travel independently then they wouldn't be entitled regardless of wether they have a disability.

LadyKenya · 21/02/2025 09:45

Viviennemary · 21/02/2025 00:09

That's the reason it needs to be abolished. And only genuinely disabled people should get disability benefits.

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Sigh, and a new system, if they introduce a new one, will eliminate the small percentage of fraud, how exactly? Pray tell.

Whammyyammy · 21/02/2025 09:45

Report him 100%

Squirrelseatcake · 21/02/2025 09:31

GreatAmberSnake · 20/02/2025 09:35

Hi everyone - I'm having a bit of a moral dilemma and looking to get everyone's opinions.

My M34 cousin doesn't work, he claims PIP. I'm not that familiar with how it works but he says he's on the highest level available, and there's even talk of him getting given a car. He openly boasts at every opportunity about the extreme exaggerations and outright lies he put on his PIP application, and calls me and other members of the family idiots for working when we could just get our money from PIP like he does.

If they investigated him they would easily find that some of his lies don't add up. I believe he genuinely does have depression and anxiety, but he has no physical issues. He said he put things like his partner needs to dress him in the morning (he split from his partner a couple of years ago), needs to wear velcro shoes as he can't tie laces etc. A home visit would show up some of his lies, and a call to the school (he's a weekend Dad but sometimes picks up/drops off his sons) or the Police (he's been arrested for drug offences a couple of times) would be further proof.

The main thing stopping me from reporting him is his depression. He has attempted suicide on at least one occasion, and I fear that a potential prison sentence for fraud could send him into a spiral. Even if no-one found out it was me, I really don't want that on my conscience.

If he didn't boast all the time I would just ignore it, it's not like it affects me directly, but it just winds me up every time he goes on about. Grrrr!! I do try to minimise contact with him but sometimes it's easier said than done. If he gets this car I think he'll become even more unbearable 😡

Help! What would you do?

what a whole load of bollocks. Nobody gets pip based on what they put on the form. you need tons and tons of medical evidence.

The guy isn't well and even tried to commit suicide and you are what - jealous? Fuck me.

Also, nobody give you a car. You can only get it if you get high rate mobility and then you lose the mobility part of Pip - about £300 per months. He still gets the care part but that is little more than £400 and for most people doesn't even begin to cover the additional cost of having a disability.

You just sound nasty!

Butterfly292828 · 21/02/2025 09:26

Teanbiscuits33 · 21/02/2025 00:03

I bet your friend can judge your character more than you realise. I mean, I’m not even your friend, you are a total stranger to me and I have a pretty good idea of your character by the fact you are on a public platform slagging off PIP claimants when you clearly have a very limited understanding of how the system works. Very spiteful indeed.

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She absolutely could not!

LadyKenya · 21/02/2025 09:24

BH24 · 21/02/2025 00:28

I'm pretty sure he does, I've been with him during his PIP interviews. You just don't like what I'm telling you.

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No one is asked what they spend their PIP on, by anybody in a professional capacity, it is not their place to ask.

Butterfly292828 · 21/02/2025 09:23

Butterfly292828 · 20/02/2025 23:27

Oh btw they told me about their medical history,
I had someone in the family who had bipolar (now dead) but has soon as they were better from their episode they would come off DLA. Maybe went back on it when another episode occurred a few yrs later.
Some people are comfortable being on benefits, some people are embarrassed by being on benefits. Each to their own.

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Actually they were put back on straight away, see not nosey as I would have known. I had to ask mum the history.

Butterfly292828 · 21/02/2025 09:14

MaloryJones · 20/02/2025 16:46

Even the word Benefits gets some frothing

Wonder when it all began ? This HATE ?
Used to simply be Social Security or would some, like the OP, like everyone back to the Workhouse days for those less fortunate in Life than themselves ?

I remember someone I use to work with ( dead now) that SS offered her a fiver to support her & three kids as the DH was on strike at the time, she said she wheeled them up to the Social security office & said you can look after these children, if you think you can look after them for a fiver, then left. I think she was having a major brake down.
How times have changed.

LadyKenya · 21/02/2025 09:11

BH24 · 21/02/2025 00:13

Yes I do know this person well and that they can dress. And really, so it's okay for them to blow all of their earnings on drugs and alcohol when that's not what PIP is for and they can easily work? People like you are the problem, you clearly feel personally attacked and I wonder why....

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There are no restrictions on what a person can spend their PIP on. Someone who would choose to spend their money this way, is clearly unwell anyway, that should be obvious to anybody.

Butterfly292828 · 21/02/2025 09:05

Teanbiscuits33 · 20/02/2025 23:59

So if they were in and out of a psychiatric hospital they still needed DLA, then? So it wasn’t that they didn’t need it!! So you are talking drivel about them being ashamed and taking themselves off it ‘’when they were better’’ - they sound like they weren’t better - they were manic.

Even if they were free of an episode, as pp said, PIP is meant to keep you well and living independently so if they were better then it was doing its job. Add to that the fact that bipolar is entirely unpredictable so most people wouldn’t take themselves off it at the drop of a bloody hat!

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They certainly needed it but thought because they were on a high, felt that they were well enough to come off it. There was no talking her round, tried to explain that even though she felt on top of the world, she was still very ill. That is what I meant.
You would have had to live our experience of that illness to understand what I am talking about. It was an horrific time for us as a family.
( Maybe it’s you that is ill, or you know someone who is suffering with MH) if so I apologise. But I object to you saying I am talking rubbish.

Miley1967 · 21/02/2025 08:36

I have supported loads of people at PIP assessments both when they used to do them face to face and also phone ones and also supported people at tribunals a couple of times. I have never ever heard anyone asked what they spend their payments on !

GiddyCrab · 21/02/2025 01:14

Serpentstooth · 20/02/2025 10:03

Your cousin must be thrilled to have a medically qualified family member like you, able to out-diagnose medical professionals. Perhaps you could mind your own buiness rather than his? Leave him alone, he is unwell and you simply sound jealous.

I thought exactly the same.
Mind your OWN business.

ThatDearBiscuit · 21/02/2025 01:07

@xenobitch I've already explained to you multiple times that they have in fact asked how I spend my money and what it goes on for my needs. Now please go away

Dodgyshoulder · 21/02/2025 01:06

I would not tell on my cousin. I would just distance myself personally.

XenoBitch · 21/02/2025 01:05

ThatDearBiscuit · 21/02/2025 01:01

@xenobitch they have asked me what I spend my money on, I'm not going to keep arguing with you about my assessment which you weren't even present at or there to see or hear. It is very weird how defensive and angry you're getting all because I've said that they do in my experience ask how I spend my pip and what it goes on. I've asked you to stop replying as you don't seem capable of listening and you haven't respected that

Asking if you buy ready meals (which suggests you struggle with preparing food), is not the same as asking out right where your money is going.

ThatDearBiscuit · 21/02/2025 01:05

@teanbiscuits they have definitely asked me in each interview what I spend my pip on for my needs, I was only saying from my experience as I've been on pip all my life unfortunately and know how these interviews go. They do go in depth with questions, I get they have to so am not critiquing them but just was putting my experience across, sorry

ThatDearBiscuit · 21/02/2025 01:01

@xenobitch they have asked me what I spend my money on, I'm not going to keep arguing with you about my assessment which you weren't even present at or there to see or hear. It is very weird how defensive and angry you're getting all because I've said that they do in my experience ask how I spend my pip and what it goes on. I've asked you to stop replying as you don't seem capable of listening and you haven't respected that

Teanbiscuits33 · 21/02/2025 01:00

ThatDearBiscuit · 21/02/2025 00:55

For some reason I can't edit my last post so just to add on I've also been asked each time I'm assessed questions around my pip income such as am I good at budgeting, what food do I cook, whether I make homemade meals or ready made meals or even buy snacky type food if my mood is too low to have to the motivation to prepare and cook food. They do go in depth in my experience

They may ask you how you spend it IF how you need to spend it is relevant to your condition, so for example, if you need to buy ready meals or snacks regularly, that suggests to them that you have difficulty cooking meals and you get points on that basis, but that has nothing to do with what you spend your PIP allowance on per se.

They don’t tell you how you can or should spend PIP and you won’t get penalised if you didn’t spend it in exactly the same way each month. It’s up to you how you spend it at any given moment. If you decide you want to go to the pub and buy drinks, that’s fine. Disabled people are allowed to get enjoyment out of life and have a semblance of normality