Should I report my cousin's benefit fraud?

No middle 50s, could have been switched over, I don’t know, they moved away.

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.

Oh quite possibly switched over by now. I don’t understand the difference between DLA or pip. Anyway was a few years ago that they moved away, never said bye- so took that to being no longer on speaking terms.
is Attendance allowance something you go on after DLA or PIPS? A friend who 80 odd was turned down for AA.. she suffers breast cancer, lung cancer/ rheumatoid arthritis, COPD? Two knee replacements, 2 hip replacements & other ailments but was knocked back.
Her hands were frozen solid with the cold as she’s too scared to put the gas fire on.
is it worth her appealing?

Yep I too can’t abide spiteful people either. That’s the other persons business!
But I get mad when another friend aged 80ish, has breast cancer, lung cancer, riddled with rheumatoid arthritis & turned down for attendance allowance, her hands are so knarled, & frozen solid because they are too scared to put the gas fire on, this I find unfair- that they are too scared to appeal incase they are knocked back again.

Well quite I used to be a mental health nurse
And we just didn't have staff or the resources ti deal with less urgent cases
And if someone trying to fake mental illness they would find it exhausting trying to keep up the act
Some people seern to think mental illness only covers anxiety and depression
And don't realise there is a huge spectrum including severe and enduring mental illness.

No one does that.
The bar to access CMHT is set very high. No one with mild cases of anxiety/depression gets much in the way of help apart from their GP. The CPNs, psychiatrists are also not stupid, and can spot a faker. I was under them for years, and at times expressed a concern that I was faking but not realising it. I was told they do not have people who fake symptoms on their caseload. I also did not fake my way into hospital and under section.

This thread is terrible, and as always is full of people who think that anyone claiming benefits for MH reasons is taking the piss and making it up for money.... because that is what the press is trying to get you to think now. That those of us on benefits for MH reasons are the reason the country is in a financial black hole. They always know someone who claims loads and goes on multiple holiday etc. Honestly, I am considering making up a Benefits Bingo card, as these threads are so predictable.

Edited
It's not that simple as it would be all patient says they want proper evidence
So if someone is claiming for mental health issues, do they see a CPN
Have they been seen by the crisis team
In patient admission, etc.

But someone determined enough can access all this based on self reported symptoms. There's no clinical test that can disprove what a patient describes as a crippling level of anxiety or depression - if you make enough noise for long enough, you'll wind up with a record of doctors appointments, CPN visits. How bad you think your mental health is is also terribly subjective.

Some claimants in certain areas still haven’t been mass migrated over. 🤷‍♀️

He leases it and has to give it back at the end. He can then choose another car. If you have to pay a deposit, depending on cost, you don’t get that back either.🙄

@ByAquaBee

So many confused opinions on here. If he had a previous suicide attempt then he would qualify on the basis of him being at future risk of serious harm from the distress caused by certain activities

That's not how it works either. Have you read the PIP criteria? Do you know suicidal people can and do recover, they wouldn't always necessarily qualify for PIP.

It's up to the PIP people to establish who's entitled or isn't. If they get it wrong, that's on them.

I couldn't be arsed actually dealing with them.

Not fraud. Requires all evidence to back up his claim

PIP is going to be changing soon.

Personally, I would leave him be.

He sounds suicidal and ill.

I know. He's even scared of using an appointee as he is sure that the system will still need to speak to him and he cannot face it. This is the issue when dealing with extreme mental health issues. I suggest things, and found a charity to help him as i understand he might not want me knowing eveything, but you can see him shutting down and I can't push as I know he's been suicidal with everything he has to endure, including pain and a cocktail of prescription drugs.

Most of his physical and almost all his MH issues have come following life threatening sepsis and 7 days in ICU in an induced coma 5 years ago.

I know some people.will say "you can't help some people" but it's difficult to watch whilst knowing he isn't able to think like we do. It's sad a system designed to help cannot identify these people and give them an easier ride as his doctor and nurse practitioners have mentioned them supporting him making a claim too. There will me more than enough evidence if only we could get to that point with him.

I'll try again.

You're right. The fraudsters are what makes it harder for people such as yourself to claim and are also why there are repeated crackdowns that cause people like you stress.

I've known people who played football at weekends on disability benefit as it was then openly bragging about the fools going to work whilst they stay at home. such types just make everything harder for you.

Your brother needs an appointee, who could then apply on his behalf. He shouldn't miss out because he is unable to apply.

You should report him but I probably wouldn't. Not if he's been suicidal in the past. He sounds like a pain in the arse but I'd leave it and just avoid him.

So many confused opinions on here. If he had a previous suicide attempt then he would qualify on the basis of him being at future risk of serious harm from the distress caused by certain activities. The thing with mental health conditions is that they can fluctuate - so he might go through times of being (relatively) well then go through an episode again. The reality is you don't know exactly what evidence he submitted to get granted PIP and since the bar is very high I would leave him alone.

People love to perpetuate the bogeyman of fraudulent disability claims which mostly just has the effect of stigmatising disabled people. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but people can lie and deceive in all areas of life to claim advantages.

Edited as got posters mixed up!

I found it. They have actually made a statement about the consultation as there has been confusion about it

"Statement from the Commission on Social Security - 20th February 2025

There has been some misleading media coverage about our project's work so we want to be very transparent that we are an independent project that has been working since 2018 to put together alternative proposals for the social security system, shaped by people who have experience using it. We have no link to the government or the DWP.

We are extremely upset and concerned that this misleading coverage has added to people’s concerns about the future of PIP. Everyone involved in this project has experience of the social security system and we know very well the harm and distress it can cause.

We are also aware of the increase in inaccurate articles and headlines over the past few years which only add to the fear, confusion and distress around social security. The last thing we would ever want is for our work to become part of that and it has been very alarming to see how our consultation has been misrepresented and created further concern.

That's amazing. Are they close to pension age?

I thought everyone on DLA had been switched to PIP now, except for those nearing pension age whose claims will end soon anyway.

I work in welfare rights, and haven't done a DLA to PIP migration for literally years, at least 5 years. I must ask the rest of my team if they've done any.

Sorry hasn't linked properly, will look again.
Sorry it was an independent consultation . My mistake. It did have some interesting proposals though.

Sorry it's not the government consultation but this is the link.
https://survey.alchemer.eu/s3/90797431/Public-Consultation-Proposal-for-an-additional-costs-disability-payment-P

I thought the consultation hadn't opened yet? How can the gvt consult when the green paper (i.e. the consultation paper) hasn't been published yet?

Could you share a link please? Thanks.

There is talk of it being replaced soon. There is a green paper being issues in the spring and there are consultation forms which people can complete to express their thoughts on the new proposals. I completed one yesterday. the proposals have lots of focus on a better system, less re-assessments for long term conditions that are not going to get better, advocacy etc.