to be really annoyed that my friend fiddling her tax credits

[cedar12]

She is getting £600 per month tax credits which she shouldnt be getting. She is telling them that her children are living with her mum, but she is living with her husband. Her argument is that they really need the money they really skint and have huge debts(due to her hugely over spending).
She stays at her mums a couple of nights a week but doesnt live there. Finding this really hard to get my head around especially as one of my friends has just been made redundant and is really struggling. She is a good friend in lots of ways just wish she would take responsibility for her finances. What should I do?

Be really annoyed.... don't drop her in it.... but do encourage her to say her circumstances have changed. Cuts are going to flatten root and branch services .... don't encourage anyone to take money from central or local government that they don't really need or deserve!

YANBU to be annoyed but do you want to report her if she's your friend?

One thing is almost for sure is that truth will out.

She can't keep up that story indefinitely. When she gets caught she'll have the prospect of paying it all back and a criminal record.

report her, what would it be like if the boot was oin the other foot? would she report you?!

Question of conscience really. No doubt its a crime.

Would you report someone who you saw dropping litter - probably not.
Would you report someone you saw breaking into a house - probably yes.
Would you report a child you saw knicking some sweets from a shop - hmmmm, good question?

In my view it really depends upon what sort of society you want to live in.
If you are happy for people to steal from others then do nothing. Otherwise, make that anonymous phone call!

She needs a reality check. Report her. She keeps spending whilst in 50k of debt. Thats what a friend would do/should do.
Its fraud

I do find it a bit strange how people discuss their finances all the time. I find that if finances come up it has the potential to become awkward. I know that most of my friends earn either more or less than we do, but I don't want the specifics. Two snippets come to mind, the friend telling me how much the accountant had saved them that year and another saying how her dh had chosen not to work more because they'd lose tax credits. Neither illegal in the slightest, but just made me squirm a bit. But I don't pay taxes to become the moral high ground on how the money's spent. I also don't think it's right to fiddle tax credits but can't see why op's friend would be daft enough to discuss it.

I too have a close friend who I recently found out is claiming more than she is entitled to as she has lied about her circumstances. She is divorced with a daughter aged 8, her ex lives nearby and helps with childcare most days (schoolrun etc) and she has other family who have the child at weekends and during the week. She works 3.5 days a week term time only and complains she's always broke. I've told her to go out and get a full time job or at least increase her hours to which her response is ...'oh I couldn't do that, I'd never have time to do my jobs around the house.'
Makes me livid as I work full time and i'm bloody knackered when I have to get home and start cooking, cleaning etc and I'm broke too!

The thing that puzzles me is why do people tell their friends that they are fiddling? Thick or what!!

Exactly Princess!

And that's the point, I think everyone who would report a friend would report a business if the MD was in their face talking about what they would buy with the money they were fiddling. The only dofference is that businesses don't generally tell people what they are up to. Stupid theiving women that are comitting benefit fraud are quite often so far up their own arse that they think they will never get caught no matter who they blab to.

I would have no hesitation in reporting any type of fraud, and a genuine friend would'nt put me in that position, but more likely would know me well enough to guess that I wouldn't keep something like that a secret.

She'll get found out and have to pay it back eventually, it's just the calm before the storm.