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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

benefit fraud again??

37 replies

birminghamgirl · 26/11/2010 19:03

ok I know this is none of my business. I just can't understand it really -

A man I know has at least £250,000 cash and owns a flat and a house outright. He has his two school age children 40% of the time and his ex has them 60% of the time.

She got a generous divorce settlement. Out of court he bought her a house and gives her around £500.

She doesn't work but I think she is looking but their 2 kids get free school meals. I don't get it - surely this can't be right when they are with their wealthy father 40% of time and she has no mortgage etc

OP posts:
WhyHavePets · 26/11/2010 19:06

It is quite right, is she is on JSA they get school meals. The mortgage is nothing to do with it and £500pm probably would not take her over the limit.

YABU and ill-informed.

Original poster
birminghamgirl · 26/11/2010 19:06

maybe it is legitimate but I can't see how and it makes me mad because it shouldn't be right really

OP posts:
Hopelesslydisorganised · 26/11/2010 19:07

It depends what she has coming in other than the maintainance (I am envious). Often maintainance is disregarded when working these things out as it's not always reliable income. I am guessing she gets income support (possibly) and tax credits but apart from her maintainance might get little else.

Original poster
birminghamgirl · 26/11/2010 19:08

I don't think I am being unreasonable here - probably ill informed. I don't think she has any intention of working - goes on two foreign holidays per year, owns a 4x4!

OP posts:
HecateQueenOfWitches · 26/11/2010 19:10

No idea. Do you qualify for them if you are looking for work? (registered unemployed)

Or perhaps her income is £500 a month - in which case she'd qualify.

Good for him for buying her a house and taking good care of his children. I wish ALL parents did when they split. So many walk away and expect the children to live on fresh fucking air. Angry

I don't think they count your property when working out your income, do they? People can own their own home outright and be on IS, I think. You can have savings of up to £16,000 and still qualify, I think. If you get IS, don't you get free school meals?

I guess what I'm saying is that you don't know the situation.

Original poster
birminghamgirl · 26/11/2010 19:10

so if she had say 50,000k in the bank, would she still get JSA - wondering what the cut off point is?

OP posts:
Hopelesslydisorganised · 26/11/2010 19:10

Lucky her if she can afford to do this. If she is on JSA then she WILL get free school meals - however unfair it seems to you.

If her ex is made redundant (not an impossibility in these difficult times) then she would have a lot less. Also some men say they will pay maintainance and just don't.

WhatFreshHellIsThis · 26/11/2010 19:10

do you know I am so tired of this benefit bashing. Bloody Jeremy Vine was at it this lunchtime as well. There will always be people who take advantage of a system, or people who luck out when they don't really need something: no system is perfect. that doesn't mean the system should be dismantled, because that would leave people genuinely in need completely in the lurch.

I'd rather make sure every child who needed school meals got them, even if that means a few who don't really need them get them as well. It's better than making the rules so strict that genuinely needy people can't have school meals, or worse, withdrawing the whole free school meals system completely.

And given that other peoples' financial affairs are none of your business, YABU.

MitchyInge · 26/11/2010 19:11

Holy SHIT. Not a 4x4?

She should be burned ALIVE.

WhyHavePets · 26/11/2010 19:11
Shock

People getting school meals for dc are allowed to drive a car you know!

Look, you may be right, she may be a money grabber, I don't know but the fact is that your op does not set out anything that suggest benefit fraud.

The father counts for nothing as they take the resident parent to be the one getting CHB and disregard the other - they have to or ithe hellish system would implode. AFAYK she gets £500 pm and is not working so she can get free meals legit.

Hopelesslydisorganised · 26/11/2010 19:12

I think it's savings of up to 6k (but could be wrong). She will have to declare anything over a certain amount and then benefits are stopped.

HecateQueenOfWitches · 26/11/2010 19:12

There's 2 types of JSA though, isn't there? income based and contributions based? I think with contributions based, income is irrelevent (I may be wrong on that)

Original poster
birminghamgirl · 26/11/2010 19:13

I do actually know the situation - because he is my brother and a very wealthy man!! he has some morals and doesn't think this is right and is happy to pay for their school lunches but she doesn't want to do this. He doesn't know exactly what she has in the bank but he certainly gave a good lump sum a year or so ago

OP posts:
MitchyInge · 26/11/2010 19:13

I LOVE threads like this, they are my new favourites.

HecateQueenOfWitches · 26/11/2010 19:14

Oh, and my children are entitled to free school meals but I don't claim them. I pay.

So if it makes you feel better - she can have mine Grin

Hopelesslydisorganised · 26/11/2010 19:14

Oh and whatfreshell said

Original poster
birminghamgirl · 26/11/2010 19:15

from which she bought the 4x4 (she also has another car). None of that is really relevant - just that he'd be happy to pay the school meals and it seems a bit strange that she claims it instead

OP posts:
HecateQueenOfWitches · 26/11/2010 19:15

oh god. now it's your brother and you know everything about it.

stealth. WHY do people give half a story and then when people naturally comment on the story as given, start changing the bugger? ARRGGHH!

WhyHavePets · 26/11/2010 19:17

You are right hecate. If she has paid X amount in NI contributions over x years (not sure exactly) she will get JSA regardless of her income.

He gave her a lump sum a year ago means nothing, how and when she spends it is up to her. So far the worst thing you can tell us is that she gets free meals at £2pd that she could possibly manage without. Not exactly a high level crime ring i it?

So, in short, you are thinking of dropping your niece/nephews mother in it? Hmm nice.

pastyeater · 26/11/2010 19:17

Oh here we go again. More benefit bashing. People on benefit have it easy, fags, plasma screens, I pay my taxes, makes my blood boil blah blah blah....

Original poster
birminghamgirl · 26/11/2010 19:17

I didn't think it was necessary to say it was my brother!

OP posts:
MitchyInge · 26/11/2010 19:17

Why doesn't he just pay the school meals directly then? I used to pay termly in advance.

WhatFreshHellIsThis · 26/11/2010 19:18

Why don't you take the Joey from Friends approach - get your brother to pay you for your childrens' school meals. Then he's paying for some childrens' school meals, albeit not his, and it will all even out in the end.

Or will it?

Original poster
birminghamgirl · 26/11/2010 19:18

god no I wouldn't drop them in it. I am just surprised that they wouldn't make him liable to pay

OP posts:
WhyHavePets · 26/11/2010 19:19

Actually, hang that - you are thinking of dropping your niece/nephews mother in the shit - for something she is most likely ENTITLED to?

Grin good luck with that, I am sure karma will have a nice time with your ass!