If you knew someone was committing benefit fraud would you report them?

[Chloefairydust]

If you knew of someone who was committing benefit fraud, and had been for the past 7 years would you report them? Let’s say for example this person has been bragging about claiming benefits (I’m assuming child benefits and universal tax benefit, potentially benefits toward housing too) during this time and hasn’t declared assets that she has in that she actually owns a house she shared with her ex. She’s been bragging about seeing a solicitor who’s told her she’s owed a substantial amount of money from having her name on the mortgage while saying shes thinking of a way to claim the money from the house without alerting the benefits people (she also bragged about how she never payed a penny towards the bills or mortgage when she lived with said ex, she seemed quite smug by the thought of getting her hands on his hard earned cash🤨) … I was quite shocked and didn’t want to judge but it just didn’t seem morally right to me… If it makes any difference she’s not worked in about 6 years either with no interest in getting a job 😕

Is this benefit fraud? And what is the moral thing to do here? turn a blind eye and accept she’s claiming money she’s not entitled to? Or to report? I have never reported anyone for anything, and I try really hard not to judge other people, so I’m struggling morally with what’s the right thing to do now…

Would she be in lots of trouble or would she just get the benefits stopped? What would you do?

No. Unless it was someone I hated I wouldn’t.

You can claim benefits while owning a house that isn't an issue. If she sold the house and hid the money then that is. You can also claim if under the earning threshold even with a partner.

What's universal tax benefit?

Yes, if I knew that it was fraud then I would, without question.

I’m someone who’ll go back into a shop if they’ve given me too much change, and hand in a £10 note that I find on the street to the police.

Allowing someone to defraud the state is not the moral decision.

No how utterly pathetic to consider it

I forgot the name of the benefit… I don’t know, never claimed them so it’s a bit of a grey area for me…

And from how she’s talking she’s intending on hiding the money she gets from the house and not alerting benefits people 🤷🏼‍♀️

And if it makes a difference I don’t hate her, but as someone who works hard and pays my taxes it seems a bit annoying to see someone play the system like that…

Haha yes this is me… I once went back into a shop when she forgot to charge me for some earrings… the shop assistant was like OMG your so honest LOL … the guilt would have kept me up at night otherwise 🤣

Is there a reason they weren't entitled to child benefit?

I wouldn't personally but can understand why others would want to when it comes to large amounts of money.

Our old next door neighbours used to do it apparently, she claimed as a single mum but had her boyfriend living there, I just kept my nose out, I got a phone call one day randomly on the landline, asking me if "Tom" her bf lived next door, I assume it was the fraud investigation team or something similar. I just said I wasn't sure and they hung up.
They had a young child and I couldn't live with myself for dobbing them in.

If she's going around bragging then I'd imagine it won't take long for her to get found out anyway.

Yeah she has her boyfriend living with her as well but is claiming to be a single parent too.

Its a hard one isn’t it… I don’t want to get her into trouble but I don’t like the thought of knowing about her benefit fraud either.

Does anyone know what happens when you report someone? Like are they in trouble for it or is it just a slap on the wrist and payments stopped?

If you are convicted for benefits fraud you can receive an unlimited fine or seven years in prison or both.

Prosecution must begin within three months of the date from which there was sufficient evidence to prosecute or twelve months from the date of your offence, whichever is later.

You may be invited to pay a civil penalty as an alternative to prosecution or the proceedings may be dropped.

www.turn2us.org.uk/Benefit-guides/Fraud-Investigations/What-penalties-are-there-if-I-am-found-to-have-com

It's a fraud conviction, carries a criminal record and a potential prison sentence.
At the very least it's a suspended sentence & community service.
All depends on the amount of money taken.

I don't understand why people risk it, I wouldn't be able to sleep for fear of being found out.

No. I know someone who is and I won’t report them. Not when rich people get away with hiding money and there are loads of businesses fiddling taxes.

The only difference between them and the rich is the rich exploit loopholes to defraud the state ‘legally’. I know who we really should be going after.

Perhaps she's bragging to cover up being in a terrible position financially and doing so could give her the appearance of control. She might be in an awful state practically and emotionally. People behave strangely under pressure.

It's always the ones on the bottom who are easy pickings. If I remember rightly corporations like Amazon and suchlike pay next to no taxes in the UK, while Boris gave loads of contracts to his cronies during the covid crisis. But sure, go after someone who is possibly getting a few bob more in benefits than they are entitled to. What will happen to her child while she is in prison?

In this climate? No.

Why don't you mind your own business, our own government are committing far bigger crimes against the country, are you going to report them?

No, I would not. Reporting them will not improve your own situation.
And if you were wrong, there legitimate benefits could be stopped for months whilst they get investigated.

Exactly. Paying workers a crap wage and ripping sellers off so they need topped up with taxpayer funded benefits while bezos swans off into space on a jolly with celeb pals. Single mum doesn’t let on she’s got a boyfriend and she’s scum but Rees mogg hides his money in BVI and he’s gentleman Jack

No I wouldn't. The amount lost in benefit fraud is a drop in the ocean compared to the amount lost from rich tax dodgers and big corporations. The government don't give a fuck a how much they and there buddies get away with (its billions)

so fuck it. I'm not bothered about someone on bottom row of the ladder making life easier for them and there family.

I just don’t know… Obviously I don’t want her to end up in prison (surely that’s worse case scenario though and doesn’t actually happen to people??)

But then I don’t know if I can turn a blind eye now I know about it…

I mean if everyone did this what state would our country be in? The rules are there for a reason right?

Without hesitation.

You mean if all our elected officials did that sort of thing? And as well as making the laws, went around breaking the laws, shafting tax payers and using their democratically elected position to boister their bank accounts/share portfolios? Lying to the public, parliament and the Queen?

Is your friend destroying the country?