mum on benefits can afford to keep her dds 2 horses

[jugofwildflowers]

This is a lovely mum by the way. She has never married but been with the same partner for 25 years and they have 3 dc. He works and has another home but stays in family home often, although because she is 'single' and on benefits, she gets everything paid for and her dc have free school meals. I assumed that as the mum was on benefits, she wouldn't have much money.

They have 2 horses and she spends a lot of the time with them. We have a mortgage and after all the bills are paid we don't have enough to keep one let alone 2 horses! Comes across as sour grapes, doesn't it? Sorry but

[dreamingofsun]

tenderly - from the sound of it they aren't maintaining 2 homes - the taxpayer is maintaining at least one of them.

[Olderyetwilder]

I'd love a goat (though not in the same way as tenderly does). How do you get a free goat?

[adamschic]

He is allowed to live seperately if they choose to live this way. I know it happens alot. I would hate my long term partner, if I had one, to refuse to commit financially to me and his kids but it suits some couples. It's not fraud if he has a seperate address and is financing his own home.

The father might be giving her a fair amount of maintenance which cover the upkeep of the horses, this is also not fraud nowadays as maintenance isn't treated as income like it used to be, which I find astounding tbh.

[ArtVandelay]

I'm going to be soppy and say I think its nice that the mum has a good, healthy hobby to do with her girls. I know several people who are on their arsebones who can always find money for their horses - its a horse love/obsession thing!

I can see why it might look a bit dodgy to you. Are your children wanting a horse and citing this family as an example to you?

YANBU and YABU! Whether or not there is fraud going on, could you really report her? I'm not sure I could no matter how irritated I was.

[worraliberty]

How is it different to running a car?

They're bloody expensive too...as is the price of petrol

Yet you don't see too many threads like this about it do you?

[Hullygully]

To get a goat you go down the benefits office and say your flat screen is lonely and needs a goat for company

[LEMONAIDE]

What the "mind your own business gang" doesnt seem to understand (and not directed at anyone specifically here) is that benefit money isn't harvested from a money crop - it comes from the taxpayer...straight out of THEIR pay packet every month.

We would almost certainly not see any more in our pay packets if the 100s (1000s?) of benefit cheats in this country were caught but if the money were re-directed to people who genuninely needed it i.e carers, disabled...then I for one would not be wasting any tears on those who think the country needs to support them.

Dont take that as any criticism that she is not working as I know how hard the income v childcare balance is.

[noddyholder]

It is none of your business full stop. She might eat beans on toast every night to be able to keep them. My dp's sister does

[Hardgoing]

Being a partner for tax credit purposes is all about whether you share in the household. If he pays no bills, doesn't contribute the household, is not registered at the address, and is not part of the 'family' in that sense, it is not fraudulant. But this would beg the question WHY is he not contributing, given theyare a family, except in a technical sense and why would anyone think it's ok to get the state to pay for that instead of him?

[Hullygully]

Really LEOMAIDE?

I had No Idea! Who knew? I thought it all grew on a bush near Leamington Spa.

[worraliberty]

So you've now admitted the horses she spends so much time with, might be financed by her DH.

So what's the problem? Is a Dad not allowed to finance his DD's hobbies any more?

[Hullygully]

Ask her ffs

[BupcakesandCunting]

Perhaps grandparents or aunts/uncles pay for the horses.

It doesn't really matter does it?

[Hardgoing]

I would not report, though, as you have no idea where the money for the horses comes from, although if you were able to support two horses even if you ate beans on toast off benefits, I'd be quite surprised.

[Stay123]

It is fraud if she is seeing her partner the minimum number of nights so as to be legal. A quick call to the benefits office should make you feel better.

[noddyholder]

I would prefer my taxes to go on horses than big tellies-naff and tacky looking

[Olderyetwilder]

If it came to it I'd try to manage without a car rather than my horses

[TenderlyLovinglyByAGoat]

how are they cheating the system?

this is a genuine question actually, I claim benefits, they are not means tested but even so I AM a single mum with horses and I also have the temerity to have sex, sometimes in my own house! With a man

am I a benefits cheat too?

[Witchofthenorth]

YABU you have no idea who is paying for the horses. She may have them "on loan" which means she may have reduced livery fees...she may be friendly with the people who run the stables. If you are that interested ask her. I also have a friend with whom I inwardly questioned how she could afford horses when I was struggling to pay bills...I asked her and she told me readily!

Also, if her partner is not living with her, she is not cheating the system or committing fraud. It may seem unfair but not fraudulent. It does not matter how long they have been together.

[Hullygully]

I'd rather it went on a couple of horses than the war in Afghanistan or propping up the banks so the wankers can get their huge bonuses.

[worraliberty]

Horses are a luxury though worra and cars are often essential

I would say more often than not they're only 'essential' in the mind of the person driving. Some people 'don't do' public transport and convince themselves they need a car.

From what the OP has said so far, this lady hasn't committed any kind of crime.

She's not living with him full time...therefore she'll be entitled to certain benefits and he's more than entitled to pay for the upkeep of his DD's horses.

[frumpet]

My horse costs me £10 a week to keep , that includes shoeing, feeding ,hay for the winter and wormers/ vaccinations . It does call for keeping a tight budget and i dont pay for livery as i keep them on a friends land and share the work of keeping them . I am not on benefits though , just thought i should explain that it can be done cheaply if required.