Why can’t I report this horrible woman?

Absolutely report her. Benefit fraud is disgusting and should not be seen as something that has become acceptable. It's theft.

Just do it. No one likes a thief.

If she’s a benefits cheat you should report her.

Send me her details and I will report her for you!!! I cannot abide people stealing money from the system when vital services are constantly having to have their budgets cut😡

Actually there isn’t. For standard council tenancies, there’s no legal limit on how often or how long guests can stay overnight, but there’s a clear distinction between having a visitor and taking in what the local authority would consider to be an unauthorised occupant - consecutive overnight stays for more than 2 to 4 weeks, for example. What they look at is similar to how DWP investigate - things like a guest using your address to receive mail, work, registering for a GP etc.

There’s also a common misconception that benefits like Universal Credit or Housing Benefit limit overnight stays to 3 nights a week. That’s a myth. There has to be evidence that someone is actually resident. That’s why l would urge OP to ignore the knee jerk reactions here and concentrate on what she knows to be true, because things aren’t always what they seem.

Report her. I've had enough of paying for piss takers.

OP if you’re going to report her you have to be clear about why you are doing it. Are you strongly morally opposed to benefit fraud ? Would you report others if you knew they were claiming fraudulently ? Or are you considering reporting her simply because you want revenge for what she did to you ?

If it’s the latter I would think very carefully before you act. You’re clearly not a naturally vengeful person or you wouldn’t be here asking for opinions. You would have gone ahead and done it.

I also think that because you see this person on a daily basis, you need to be prepared to witness the effects of you reporting her, which could well be serious and far reaching. Could you cope with knowing it was you who brought that about ? I think the reason you’re having difficulty acting on this is because you know that although reporting her may be the right thing to do, you would be doing it for the wrong reasons.

Only you know what’s right for you. But before you report you need to be as sure as you can be that you’re correct. If your resentment of her may be in any way colouring your judgement then you need to rethink.

I’m saying this because l’ve worked in and around benefits, and a report of fraud can have serious consequences for a claimant, even if they’re doing nothing wrong. DWP will review the claim and if they decide to investigate, depending on the circumstances, they may suspend benefit payments while they do so, which can cause a lot of hardship, not to mention the stress of being interviewed under caution and everything that goes with it.

Sometimes things aren’t as they seem and reporting isn’t something to be done lightly, as you’re causing upheaval in someone’s life when potentially they aren’t doing anything wrong. That’s what you need to keep in mind whatever you decide.

Report her. It won't ruin her life. She will be investigated, may have to attend an interview and then pay back anything that she should not have had. She won't have to pay back a lump sum, an agreement will be set up

Why should she get away with receiving SPD? It is one of the biggest frauds out. Council tax is crippling for a lot of people so yes please report her

Your conscience won't allow you to report a benefit cheat?
FFS
What kind of morals do you have?! 😡

I hope you do report her OP. To me your motivation hardly matters.....I just despise benefit fraudsters like this woman so much. I would urge anyone who is aware of such a person to do the same.

People like her are the reason I had to take my wheelchair-bound DS to the Job Centre to attend a stressful interview in order to prove we really weren't lying and he really wasn't capable of working (despite his condition being lifelong and him having a mental age of about 4).

Reort it and fuck the ' I won't dop someone in' scuzzy types on MN. I for one and millions of others am not paying my taxes to help people commiting fraud.
If she's innocent then good, if not then she deserves what she gets.

Benefit fraud, knowingly making false claims by lying about your circumstances, is one of the most pathetic and despicable things a person can do. It's literally stealing so they can sit on their arse and live a life of leisure.

or me!

I reported my niece. She has received over £300k in benefits claiming she is too ill to work. Her daughter, at 22 was signed off as long-term sick. My niece was running a car boot business and her daughter was posting on Facebook how she had treated herself to a £100 bottle of perfume (courtesy of the taxpayer).

My niece’s boyfriend tried to claim against the NHS for touching a nerve in his leg whilst trying to save his life. He said he would never walk again. My niece was gleefully telling everyone how they were going to spend their compensation. I reported him too and now he is working full time in Tescos! They split up shortly after.

My sister said she would never forgive me. 6 years later, I still know I did the right thing.

OP if it makes you feel better then send me her details and i will report her.

Stop seeing someone you hate. Report anyone comitting benefit fraud is a dick.

Ooh you must

"Reporting is worse than any actual fraud"? Nonsense.

I take it, then, that if you or your children are assaulted, or you have your car or phone or kids' bikes or tech stolen, you don’t report it because you feel solidarity with the assaulters/thieves. Right?

I assume you’ll say there’s a difference because benefit fraud and shoplifting are "victimless crimes". That’s rubbish. Quite apart from the moral aspect, and the way humans can organise themselves to live in a fair society, everyone is affected in the end if shops have to put prices up and benefit rules are tightened to cover the cost of the cheats. (And also, of course, those who see all people on benefits as scroungers are confirmed in their suspicions and have a stronger case.)

Hi @bs125

If she is fraudulent and claiming unfair benefits, report because it's the right thing to do. People in this country work hard and pay a lot of tax because we want a safety net for the vulnerable. Fraud is awful.

Don't report her for the sake of revenge, as you won't hear anything back. Your anger and desire for revenge is only really hurting you. She's living rent free in your head. You are person suffering still -can you try to work on how to let that go? x

To answer your question though OP, the thing you're uncomfortable with is the fact this is pure revenge on your part. The benefits issue is just a tool, and you know it.
You think revenge makes you as bad as her, and you don't want to be, so you're here wanting the people on MN to persuade you to do it as your civic duty. So you can be both revengeful AND a virtuous person.
Unfortunately, if you were a person who took a high ethical stance on benefit fraud, you wouldn't have waited for your friend to harm you to have a problem with it.
You happily went along with the friendship then, knowing what you know now, seemingly not giving a thought to the greater good.
So you know well that any 'civic duty' now comes from a desire to harm rather than a desire to do the right thing. And that sits uneasily with your self view as a decent person.

Report her and consider it done. She can revel in her own misery for once. FAFO.

Revenge is a dish best served cold. I would.

What did she report about your children to the police? You can't be 100% sure it was her. Could it have been another neighbour or relative concerned about their welfare?

i think if it is bothering you so much rather than report (if you are only doing it to feel better and not from moral obligation) I would have to say it to her. Just be direct and honest and have it out with her. Best thing is just to approach it head on don't keep all this anger inside it's not healthy.

If you are convinced she is defrauding the system, then please report her. If you are right, you are doing us all a favour. The report is anonymous so you don’t need to worry.

Having said that, it is hard to cheat on benefits because the DWP has umpteen ways to check up on people. I regularly have to sent them 4 months of bank statements and a long list of other documents and there has never been any suspicion on me. So I do not believe the vast majority of claims of benefit fraud on here, especially when people say they cannot bring themselves to report it. Why would anyone not report it? It is very wrong, makes a lot of people very angry and it is costing us all money.

You asked why you can’t report her. Is it because…

• You don’t think benefit cheats should be reported?
• You aren’t sure of your facts?
• You are worried about potential effects on her?
• You are worried about potential comeback on you?
• You still want to be her friend?
• You don’t want to feel like the sort of person who takes revenge?
• Something else?

I think knowing your deeper motivation will help you act and/or move on.