Sister and boyfriend staying with mother

[stripeywoollenhat]

My half-crazy, drug abusing sister and her junkie boyfriend have fetched up in my mother's house in ireland with all of their luggage about a week ago. Sister's normal evasions and dishonesty notwithstanding, I've gathered that he has left the UK to avoid a jail sentence - yes, on the run from the law... So my mum's objections to them staying with her have been ignored by both of them, they are extracting her pension from her as best they can, and now want to use her address for their benefits (I am not clear what benefits these might be). I am terrified of confrontation but don't think i can allow this situation to continue. Anybody got any suggestions?

Do you absolutely know as a fact that he is a fugitive?

Because if so, I don't see how they could possibly touch the state for benefits without revealing their whereabouts, and there must be an extradition agreement between UK and Ireland (the EU one, possibly additional bilateral provision). So the problem might solve itself if the authorities caught up with them. Is there anything you could do, without putting yourself I'd your mother in an impossible situation, to maximize the chances of this happening?

Not sure of the correct procedures/agencies in Ireland but if your mum is elderly could you not inform SS and tell them you are worried about "elder abuse".

this website will give you links about details of benefits etc in Ireland . It should also give you information about agencies that you could contact wrt elder abuse www.citizensinformation.ie .

you should also try to google 'age action ireland' to get more information.

hope some of this helps

thank you for your replies. rang this morning and spoke briefly to my sister - she hung up on me after about two sentences. my mother seems to have agreed that they can use her address for benefits, and they are going to sign on here this morning, if they can. i am hoping that what i said about them not staying at my mother's house breached in some sense the neverworld of self justification my sister occupies: if not, i will take your advice and contact age action.

onimolap - he has told one of my other sisters that he thinks that he will have to serve three years if they go back to london, i don't know what for but i imagine drug related offences. you would think that he wouldn't be able to get benefits here without getting caught and sent back, but i think that might be expecting a level of efficiency from the system which doesn't exist. from a quick google, i think he could be extradited, though, if he was detected here.

thanks again for your replies

mary, thanks. you are right, of course: technically she is allowing them to stay there, but she is horribly stressed and really doesn't want them there. and of course, they are at liberty to move here, and claim whatever benefits are available. i think they would move on if they thought he was going to be caught by the police - to be honest, i am not interested in that end of things at all, i just don't want them screwing my mother's life up. anymore than knowing what has become of her daughter already has, i mean.

thank you for responding.