Would you report someone for benefit fraud?

[Halycon]

Hypothetical question, I’m not in this situation.

Just curious:

Report them, they deserve everything coming

or

Don’t be a grass?

No, definitely not. No one can know another person's situation completely. Keep your nose out of other people's business.

I have reported a family member for it.

Why?

Why did I report them or what type of fraud did I report them for?

Sorry complete opposite for me ….stupidly rich people would be my reason for reporting,not someone doing an extra job to pay the bills!

Why did you report them? Do you feel bad about it? Do they know you reported them?

Probably not. Unless it was an obscene amount. I don’t think it feels like good karma.

Depends on their circumstances

How would you be in trouble for not reporting it? By who?

No

Really? You know someone with over 6k unreported is technically committing fraud because they'd get less benefits if they reported having over 6k? You'd go "non contact" with your own parents over that?

You wouldn't 😂stop lying.

The vast majority of benefit fraud is by organised criminals not some poor woman struggling to feed her children.
So yes I would report the former, but not the latter.

A single mum earning a bit extra on the side babysitting - no

Someone with no other commitments, claiming benefits and working full time cash in hand, or someone with a council house subletting it - yes, absolutely.

Question to those of you who wouldn't report...
Would you report a rape
A murder
Theft from your house
Sex trafficking?
if you've answered yes to any of those, why are you self-selecting which crime is acceptable and which isn't? Because working on that basis means that someone can self-select murder as a lesser crime in their world.
It never ceases to amaze me how far people are prepared to break laws and rules to suit themselves yet would be hysterical if such a crime was committed against them.

No I wouldn’t. Doesn’t mean I agree with them doing it, but I wouldn’t snitch.

Yep, I'd report all of those, because they disproportionately target more vulnerable members of society (women, children, the elderly, those without someone to advocate for them). Benefit fraud is not even in the same universe as these.

However, if you're adamant that someone doing an extra couple of shifts cash in hand is equitable to murder, there's no reasoning with you.

I reported because I thought it was utterly wrong that she was lying and wrongly gaining money from the state, when her siblings and other family members were working incredibly hard and paying taxes, part of which should be used to help people genuinely in need. I also strongly believe that people shouldn't break the law in any shape or form, it's unnecessary in this country.

There's a huge backstory but to summarise she was a divorced woman with a child, private renting, working in a self employed job where it's easy to work cash in hand( but no evidence that she was). She received £800 per month maintenance from ex, he paid for all extra curricular activities, bought lots of clothes, shoes etc and the child spent Friday night till Monday morning with ex every week. She received full housing benefit and tax credits. All legal. She was able to have a good lifestyle.

She met a man and after a few months the child was saying things that showed he was living there. He was working full time in the type of job which is reasonably well paid. She constantly denied he was living there and hadn't informed HMRC. They went on nice holidays, ate out lots, weekends away, plenty of new clothes etc. That carried on for months and I was sick of her lying and gaining financially from those lies so I phoned the benefit fraud helpline. They immediately suspended her benefits and investigated.

I didn't feel the slightest bit guilty. She asked if it was me who reported( obviously people don't get told who did it) and I denied it, so she suspected but couldn't confirm.

I have done it and I don't regret it. It wasn't because I'm particularly concerned about saving taxpayer money, it was a way of getting at someone I disliked in an easy and legal way. All I had to do was fill in an online form. I've never been under suspicion.

Some horrible people on this thread.
Not your circus, not your monkeys.

yes, I've done it before, they were working cash in hand and claiming on top. no qualms

I definitely would.

As part of my job I need to report benefit fraud and tax evasion so it’s just a normal day at the office