To dob in family member - benefits

Like @BunnyLake I have a chronic illness that over the past 2 years along with the pressures of raising a disabled child has seen me reduce my working hours from being a full time professional (solicitor) to part time to less than part time to engaging in minimum wage temp work to now not working at all. It's an illness that is supposedly 'not progressive' but I sure as shit know it is and others in my support group know it is too. Just that science has not yet caught up with that it seems. I am eligible for PIP but have not applied because applying foir DLA for DS was such a traumatic experience and so far we are manging to live off DH's income. People might see me doing the school run. going out for dinner and walking to the shops and back. What they don't see is the 10 days I spent in bed over Christmas where I needed help from DH to get from bed to sofa so i could watch my kids open their Christmas presents. They did not see my children putting up the Christmas tree and taking photos of it on their phones to bring to me in bed.

I agree with that principle. Of course only those honestly entitled to any benefit should be the only ones who get it..

But, random relatives, friends, pub goers, neighbours etc shouldn't be the ones who decide to judge it.

Haven't a clue. There you go. I represent at tribunals as part of my job. The tribunal panel scrutinise all evidence thoroughly, ask extensive and detailed questions and only decide on an award after significant deliberation and examination of all that evidence. Unless you literally live that person's life and are privy to their movements and how they manage their conditions 24hrs a day, who are you to make this kind of judgment? Incredible.

This x 100! That you would do such a rotten thing to anyone far less a family member! Decent people despise a grass.

OP

I'm just not feeling like being as kind as everyone else right now.

If you’re so determined to wreck someone’s life out of envy, jealousy, and a warped sense of justice or morality, and you believe a person with disabilities who receives state support doesn’t deserve anything good, why not live that reality yourself? Why not go through an accident that leaves you disabled if you think that’s fair? Why not lose your hands, other vital parts of your body, or your mobility to make things “equal” and “worthy” in your eyes? It would be something to watch you struggle to survive, fighting for state aid. Even more ironic would be imagining you stuck at home doing absolutely nothing, since you think people with disabilities can’t do anything and shouldn’t have anything you don’t approve of—doing nothing you believe that family member can’t do because of her disabilities. If she can’t do what you disapprove of, then by your logic, neither can you.

P.s: For goodness' sake, here's some advice for anyone reading this: never share your financial matters with anyone you don't trust completely! There are people out there who would love to destroy you.

If they are getting benefits that they shouldn’t be entitled to then I do hope that gets found out and stopped. Money should be given to those in need and if those needs change then they go elsewhere.
Welfare system is fucked and we need to do something to reduce the bill. That does not mean to stop giving money to disabled people before anyone thinks that’s what I am saying.

Did you get strong advice? I used our local PIP helper who helped with the forms and did a mock interview with me to help with the questioning etc. I had to pay her a bit but the pay back was quite quick. I think of it like those people who who tax advisors to prepare their returns and reduce their tax bill.

Just be happy for their good luck.

What I have never understood is how do people know enough about, often virtual strangers, to confidently say they are gaming the system?

I can honestly say I have never had a conversation with some random bloke in a pub about the ins and outs of their health condition or benefits entitlements. I'd be very concerned if some bloke I barely knew started chatting at me about his personal financial information, to the point where I would probably contact adult social services rather than the benefit fraud hotline.

Obviously, it is different with family, but even then, it confuses me how people know enough about distant relatives' health and finances to confidently deduce that they are not disabled or even what precise benefits they are claiming.

I know my BIL gets some benefits for disability due to severe mental health issues, but I don't know which benefit, or what his award was based on, because why the fuck would I?

I know his mental health is poor enough to see him sectioned occasionally, but I don't know the ins and outs of how his health impacts him on a daily basis because again, why the fuck would I?

My point is if things change then benefits should be stopped if they wouldn’t be awarded if they were a new claimant. Things change and so should the benefits paid as a result.

Did you get strong advice? I used our local PIP helper who helped with the forms and did a mock interview with me to help with the questioning etc. I had to pay her a bit but the pay back was quite quick. I think of it like those people who who tax advisors to prepare their returns and reduce their tax bill.

Pip is Extremely hard to get!. I'm on dialysis and they said no!. Just leave them alone!

The point is, that this person has been to tribunal and has a legal decision regarding their benefit entitlement. The tribunal will have had access to their medical records and other evidence and will have made their decision based on that. What qualifies OP, and others who agree with them, to determine that that decision is wrong, based on just looking at the person ? It’s utter nonsense.

What's to stop someone giving false details?

What's to stop someone giving false details?

If they are getting benefits that they shouldn’t be entitled to then I do hope that gets found out and stopped. Money should be given to those in need and if those needs change then they go elsewhere.
Welfare system is fucked and we need to do something to reduce the bill. That does not mean to stop giving money to disabled people before anyone thinks that’s what I am saying.

Indeed and its crap they come out with like they think the advisors and judges are gullible fools who believe anyone that tells them they are disabled just on their say so.

DWP are actually moving towards this. They are phasing out anonymous reporting to eliminate malicious reports which waste time and andversely affect claimants. In the near future you will have to give personal details when you report, and will be held responsible if it turns out to be malicious.

What an appalling attitude YOU have. What a massive, over-judgemental over-reaction. There is nothing immoral about questioning whether a significant chunk of state resources should go to supporting someone who is well enough to socialise regularly and is able to participate in society. If you can participate, you can contribute. The real question is why you have such a strong emotional reaction to this question. Did it hit a nerve, I wonder.