Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

My neighbour is threatening to report me for “benefit fraud”

216 replies

AugustSlippedAwayInto · 06/08/2025 08:39

I’m currently signed off sick from work after an operation last week. My street is full of gossips (to put it nicely) so the entire street knows why I’m off. Brill.

For full disclosure, the relationship with this neighbour is rocky at best. She’s screamed abuse at me and my family in the street before, she watched everyone from her window and films people walking past very regularly.

I decided that I felt well enough for a short walk yesterday, so my mum came over and offered we went. I think we were out for about half an hour, with a break halfway.

This morning as soon as she’s seen I’m up (lights on, curtains open etc) she’s banging on my door saying she’s contacted my work and “the government” to report that I’m “committing fraud”. I’m talking shouting, banging my door so hard I thought she’d break the glass, slapping the front windows. It’s all on the ring camera.

I’m not on SSP, as I get occupational sick pay, and after my walk I slept for three hours! WIBU to just tell her to do one and to leave me alone?

OP posts:
ObtuseMoose · 06/08/2025 10:20

pinkstripeycat · 06/08/2025 10:16

No wonder the police don’t come in an emergency as they’re dealing with rubbish like this.

All those saying call the police, you need to realise that most police paperwork is crap like this and they spend hours and hours dealing with it.

Maybe call the neighbourhood team or a PCSO to have a word with her and then you won’t be wasting police time.

Oh give over, she's threatening the OP, banging on her door and generally harassing her. That's a police job.

AugustSlippedAwayInto · 06/08/2025 10:18

pinkstripeycat · 06/08/2025 10:16

No wonder the police don’t come in an emergency as they’re dealing with rubbish like this.

All those saying call the police, you need to realise that most police paperwork is crap like this and they spend hours and hours dealing with it.

Maybe call the neighbourhood team or a PCSO to have a word with her and then you won’t be wasting police time.

I called 101, not 999.

She came onto my property, tried to damage it, and has now been stood watching me for over an hour from her front garden, I can see her staring into my front room. It's not an active burglary but given her history it's quite concerning!

OP posts:
pinkstripeycat · 06/08/2025 10:16

No wonder the police don’t come in an emergency as they’re dealing with rubbish like this.

All those saying call the police, you need to realise that most police paperwork is crap like this and they spend hours and hours dealing with it.

Maybe call the neighbourhood team or a PCSO to have a word with her and then you won’t be wasting police time.

AugustSlippedAwayInto · 06/08/2025 10:09

LittleBobbyDazzler · 06/08/2025 10:07

I'm glad you're taking this advice OP, as PP said it will build a bigger picture and while results won't be instant hopefully the police will act if enough reports are made.

If the police view it as mental health issues, shouldn't they be reporting this to adult social services? (I genuinely don't know the answer to this, I just presumed they would if there was a concern.) Is this something you could maybe speak to adult social services as a concerned neighbour, a welfare check of some kind possibly?

I genuinely don't know. I know that the family has a history of disengaging with mental health services in the past - my neighbour's sister will apparently disengage from medication and therapies etc., and end up sectioned quite regularly.

OP posts:
LittleBobbyDazzler · 06/08/2025 10:07

AugustSlippedAwayInto · 06/08/2025 09:33

I’m going to start doing this. Word on the street (ha 😅) is that there’s a family history of mental health issues. She lives with her sister who hasn’t been seen for a few weeks now. So we think she may have been sectioned.

I'm glad you're taking this advice OP, as PP said it will build a bigger picture and while results won't be instant hopefully the police will act if enough reports are made.

If the police view it as mental health issues, shouldn't they be reporting this to adult social services? (I genuinely don't know the answer to this, I just presumed they would if there was a concern.) Is this something you could maybe speak to adult social services as a concerned neighbour, a welfare check of some kind possibly?

AugustSlippedAwayInto · 06/08/2025 10:02

She's still staring. 101 have said they will try and send someone, but it's not classed as an emergency (fair enough, it's not really an emergency!) and given me a reference number for me to submit footage etc., so I've sent in the video of her screaming at me and banging on the door.

OP posts:
Juiceinacup · 06/08/2025 10:01

She’s crazy in most cases after surgery you are instructed to walk after the surgery to help your recovery while signed off sick, I certainly was told to do so after a full hysterectomy with a big surgical scar. My aged FIL walked for miles after his triple heart bypass surgery.

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 06/08/2025 09:53

Mary28 · 06/08/2025 09:41

The poor woman sounds very unwell.
I think I'd be reporting that to the police if you have it on camera. Not to press any charges but to have the event and behaviour documented.
As unwell as she is, she can't be harassing people like that and the report may help her get the help she needs. I'd be asking the police to contact social services for her.

'Unwell' is an interesting word here. I am not any sort of expert here, but used to work with psychiatrists and psychologists and picked up that personality disorders are not the same as other psychiatric conditions. A great many people in prison are considered to have personality disorders, including psychopathy, but they can't be sent to secure units or hospitals just for that reason as these conditions are basically untreatable, certainly incurable. The most that can be done is to try to give the patient some insight into their condition and try to get them to amend their behaviour, and the success rate is poor. There was a special unit at Broadmoor for such people which I think was closed because it wasn't considered a good use of money, given the poor outcomes.

I suppose we've always had people living in our communities with personality disorders. Possibly in the past some ended up being committed to asylums. Women with any kind of nonconformist behaviour certainly ended up there and many of them were never released. That wasn't right but just leaving them in the community to terrorise and upset their neighbours certainly isn't right either.

GasPanic · 06/08/2025 09:52

I would definitely call the police. As someone else said, it build up a pattern of behaviour with them so that when something bad finally happens they can act on it.

MaryGreenhill · 06/08/2025 09:48

Kill her with kindness @AugustSlippedAwayInto good luck with your recovery.

Georgelondon · 06/08/2025 09:46

AugustSlippedAwayInto · 06/08/2025 08:39

I’m currently signed off sick from work after an operation last week. My street is full of gossips (to put it nicely) so the entire street knows why I’m off. Brill.

For full disclosure, the relationship with this neighbour is rocky at best. She’s screamed abuse at me and my family in the street before, she watched everyone from her window and films people walking past very regularly.

I decided that I felt well enough for a short walk yesterday, so my mum came over and offered we went. I think we were out for about half an hour, with a break halfway.

This morning as soon as she’s seen I’m up (lights on, curtains open etc) she’s banging on my door saying she’s contacted my work and “the government” to report that I’m “committing fraud”. I’m talking shouting, banging my door so hard I thought she’d break the glass, slapping the front windows. It’s all on the ring camera.

I’m not on SSP, as I get occupational sick pay, and after my walk I slept for three hours! WIBU to just tell her to do one and to leave me alone?

Tell her to do one, and never knock on your door again hope you recover well and block out any further threats from neighbours none of their business.

Vroomfondleswaistcoat · 06/08/2025 09:44

I live in a tiny village. Everyone there gossips, but it is nice, because it's more along the lines of 'I haven't seen X for a while, have you? Are you sure they're all right? I saw their daughter in the other day, I hope they aren't poorly.' When you live alone, that kind of gossip is very reassuring, you know you won't be found six months after your demise, eaten by your poodle because someone would worry that they hadn't seen the dog walked for a while.

But aside of that, this neighbour sounds very unwell. And if the gossip didn't exist, the neighbour would just fabricate something - probably have OP working from home as a prostitute if she's not obviously leaving for work. Anything to react to, really. Film everything and see if you can find a friendly PCSO who might pop round there to have a word about what is acceptable behaviour.

RB68 · 06/08/2025 09:42

Honestly you would be doing all the others a favour - call the Police on her for harassment. I don't know why she feels so entitled to "dob you in" she clearly isn't working wither. SO where is her income coming from. Once you have properly logged with the police any further low level incidents can be logged against the same crime I believe building the Police a better picture. If she eventually gets arrested for it and dealt with she could end up with a no contact order and win for you as if she breaks that they can immediately arrest and process

Mary28 · 06/08/2025 09:41

The poor woman sounds very unwell.
I think I'd be reporting that to the police if you have it on camera. Not to press any charges but to have the event and behaviour documented.
As unwell as she is, she can't be harassing people like that and the report may help her get the help she needs. I'd be asking the police to contact social services for her.

Phoebesparrow · 06/08/2025 09:40

We own our house (outright,but she thinks we rent) and next door is council

She moved herself and her dds in a few years ago

And then her bloke (the benefits office don't know about him)

She got it in her head that we had to move as she hates living next door to us (we live quietly and did nothing to her)

She started up with us daring to park outside our own house-screaming at us,filming us leaving our own house,slagging us off to anyone who would listen and just being a pest (she also rang the police on us for not clapping during covid)

I broke my ankle and she fell over herself to ring my work to tell them I was faking it as she'd seen me walking to the shop without my crutches-utter bollocks

I couldn't walk without them and the ring footage she did have was from the day before I fell down the stairs

Fuck all happened,they just stared at her and told it it was fuck all to do with her (I only found out as she told another neighbour what she had planned,work didnt say a thing)

She ended up burning her house down (accidently!) and has been quiet since (towards us,the family down the road are getting it now because their kids play out)

She carries on and I will report her for the shit hole of a garden (against the rules for a council house),the benefit fraud,the fact she claimed domestic violence to get a place (and then a council house) in a women's refuge (i didnt think this was possible but she managed it-judging by the rows they have,its not him thats ever lashed out) and harassment

But at the moment I'm just leaving her to boil in her own juice and she'll turn everyone against her in her own way (she can't help herself)

It'll be a cold day in hell when she harasses me out of my own home

MageQueen · 06/08/2025 09:40

Obviously, if she's harassing you it is probably necesary to go to the police. But in this instance, I would have burst out laughing and asked her what exactly she thought they were going to do.

I atually love this sort of batshittery in itself, but sadly, it does often come with the harassment and sense of fear. where you can laugh though, definitely do!

GreenCandleWax · 06/08/2025 09:40

Picklechicken · 06/08/2025 08:44

I would absolutely report this to the police. How awful.

But how does everyone know your business? Just don’t tell anyone anything. Even on a nosey street they can’t talk about you if you don’t share anything.

Oh yes they can! If they are inclined to, they will find a way. Agree best not to feed information though. I had this, and most of the gossip was invention, based on what little bits particular nosey neighbours did know. For example my DP (m) and me
(f) were buying our house. He has a phD (not medical) and doesn't use Dr. title. However. somebody in the estate agents picked up on it somehow and wrote to him as Dr ... Before we moved in the local gossip was that we were "two lady doctors". Neither of us worked in healthcare.

PinkyFlamingo · 06/08/2025 09:38

If someone was shouting abuse at me and it was continuous I would have phoned the Police

AugustSlippedAwayInto · 06/08/2025 09:33

mamagogo1 · 06/08/2025 09:25

Call 101 or better still log online each time she shows threatening and/or stalking type behaviour, this builds up a profile for the police to act should she tip into more threatening dangerous behaviour - often it’s a case of not enough on its own for them to act but if enough evidence is there then they can

I’m going to start doing this. Word on the street (ha 😅) is that there’s a family history of mental health issues. She lives with her sister who hasn’t been seen for a few weeks now. So we think she may have been sectioned.

OP posts:
Pandtastic · 06/08/2025 09:32

Report every instance of her behaviour to 101 so it's all logged. It might escalate as she does sound very unwell

rainbowsparkle28 · 06/08/2025 09:32

Don’t even justify it with a response - let them do whatever and carry on with your life, you know the situation so if anyone gets in touch then you know there is no issue. Some people just like the drama and have nothing better to do 🤷♀️ If it continues then report to the police for harassment and don’t engage with the neighbour and let police sort.

MaloryJones · 06/08/2025 09:32

Awaywiththegnomes · 06/08/2025 08:47

So streets like this exist?? Utterly alien to anywhere I have ever lived

as for your question, let her

Same Here

It sounds and seems horrendous

Awaywiththegnomes · 06/08/2025 09:31

SpaceRaccoon · 06/08/2025 09:21

Victim blame?
The Op knows the Op is “full of gossips”
so it’s not victim blaming to say… stop telling people your health issues of you don’t want it gossiped about and reaching the psycho neighbour 🤷♀️

Conversely - why should the OPs normal friendships with her gossipy but nice neighbours have to be curtailed because of one psychopath?

“Gossipy but nice”

how can someone be nice and gossip with others about your health issues, especially if you asked them to be discreet about it?

Beeinalily · 06/08/2025 09:29

What a horrible, horrible woman, the last thing you need. I doubt very much that they'd take any notice of her OP, she's probably reporting someone for something every five minutes. Get well soon 🌺 🌹

mamagogo1 · 06/08/2025 09:25

Call 101 or better still log online each time she shows threatening and/or stalking type behaviour, this builds up a profile for the police to act should she tip into more threatening dangerous behaviour - often it’s a case of not enough on its own for them to act but if enough evidence is there then they can

Swipe left for the next trending thread