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?

Only if you would also report yourself/husband/friend/colleagues for EVER putting anything through on expenses or claim tax back on a "coffee" lunch/dinner that wasn't purely business.

I know right!! 😮

Im genuinely shocked, I was really shocked hearing my friend tell me all this like it was normal and not even ashamed of it and then on here everyone seems to think it’s normal too.

I can only assume from these replies that most people are committing benefit fraud seeing how people are so defensive of the crime 🤔

It might be because the benefits system has intentionally, by successive governments, been made so punitive and Draconian, while benefits have been reduced so drastically, that it is very hard to obtain them and rarely possible to survive on them. It's more likely that people who do commit fraud (a very low number indeed) are doing so out of sheer terror and desperation than any wish to do wrong. Feeding their children, keeping a roof over their heads, heating the house comes first. In my work I come across people in desperate situations like this all the time, very caring, intelligent and decent people left destitute by the austerity years and recent developments.

No

Sometimes the rules are written in such a way that it is impossible to navegate the system being 100% honest.

It might be because the benefits system has intentionally, by successive governments, been made so punitive and Draconian, while benefits have been reduced so drastically, that it is very hard to obtain them and rarely possible to survive on them. It's more likely that people who do commit fraud (a very low number indeed) are doing so out of sheer terror and desperation than any wish to do wrong. Feeding their children, keeping a roof over their heads, heating the house comes first. In my work I come across people in desperate situations like this all the time, very caring, intelligent and decent people left destitute by the austerity years and recent developments

this^

and yet the taxes of the big corporations and rich which disappear into their own pockets, would be the way out for everybody.

Yet instead it leaves some 'hard working' self righteous tax payers feeling resentful of the burden on their door and willing to throw their 'friends' in prison.

Divide and Conquer

I used to think I would. But nowadays I'm far more angry about the rich who are allowed to hide cash offshore, avoid tax, pretend to us that they aren't doing it. They cost us far more.

I'd report it. It's fraud plain and simple.

These threads are the hilarious mumsnet double standards.

If its benefit fraud then its ok but if you accidentally walk out of a supermarket without paying for an item and dont immediately go back in grovelling then you are a thief who needs arresting asap and have no morals 🤣

Yes, I would report fraud. No, I have never done anything fraudulent.

I was about to say this🤣

Im thinking of starting a thread ‘Is it ok to shop lift from a corporate business like Asda if they are tax dodging scum themselves?’

Haha peoples morals are crazy! 🙄😂

I don't think people's morals are crazy. It's that morality isn't black and white. Do you think that it is moral that children go hungry and cold in the UK @Chloefairydust?

@Chloefairydust
It's possibly just that most of us can see beyond the end of our own noses & don't snort fairy dust honey.

For me I find it very hard to care about a drop in a puddle whilst the likes of Sunak and his billionaire blood sucking wife plough billions of shores & avoid tax whilst expecting ordinary working and disabled and yes alcoholics and unemployed people live on less for a week than he & his ilk spend on a bottle of bubbly.

Climb down from your moral hobby horse sweetheart & start caring about what really matters (and stop voting Tory) & have the decency to tell this woman you are NO friend of hers.
Because you're no friend to anyone but yourself with you're too sweet to be candy saccharine faux concern.

@beachcitygirl

Not that it’s any of your business but I have never voted Tory 🤨

You are no ‘friend’ OP. Agree with PP, whatever happens please don’t pretend to be friends with the person in question.

How awful to have a friend planning for your downfall.