just phoned benefit fraud line to report my son's friend's mum.

[foogle]

I have sat on the info for ages and didn't do anything except get angrier and angrier.

For christmas son's friend got a pony, bmx bike, x box, ipod and family ski trip.

My son got a second hand lego set as that is all we could afford this year.

Son's friend gets free school meals and all school trips paid for.

We can't afford school dinners and scrimp and save for son to go on school trips.

Son's friend's dad lives with them and works but I know she claims benefits as a single mum.

She earns £25 an hour cash in hand at a racing stables.

She gets everything paid for, including housing benefit etc.

We can't afford ponies nor lessons yet she has 2 competition horses.

I never thought I 'd do this as she's a nice person but I've had enough.

i pay shitloads of tax. i'd be happy for it to go directly to this woman to keep her son in ponies and ski trips.

i hope it might help make up for the fact that she has friends like the op who try to wreck her life just out if spite and jealousy towards a child. sad :(

YANBU

however, I would not be friends with her anymore and explain why - afterall assuming that your facts are correct, the family is commiting theft.

I would expalin to your son in age appropriate language why he cannot see his friend outside school, haven't read whole thread so am assuming they attend the same school. You disagree with aspects of their lifestyle and therefore you cannot continue to be friends with his mother, omitting you suspect theft, but explaining that there are some things which cannot be discussed until he is older.

Yay catgirl

Me too. "Discretion is the better part of valour"- Esther Dearborn (Katy Goes To School by Susan S Coolidge).

I have used discretion in the past to decide what to do about dangerous/incompetent/abusive nursing staff and have reported some, spoken to others etc. Same applies here. Unsolicited criticism/judgement should always be seen in the light of those offering it. In this case the motivation is nothing more than jealousy....Do you think a pony will now magically appear in your son's back garden, OP?

Because if you think the paltry sums saved through pursuing benefit overpayments is ploughed back into extra money for the deserving, then you are very naive.

I think you need to be careful on this, unless you are in total and full possession of the facts.

I understand OPs and others frustrations, but how much do you really know? Perhaps the grandparents are subsidising them? Perhaps they have some savings they are dipping into?

Reporting someone who is innocent can have traumatic consequences.

benefit class

iz dat me den? I fink dat is well roood.

cha

Do you remember when John Major said 'We are all middle class now'

Cameron's new and improved version will soon be

'we are all benefit class now'

It can happen to anyone you know and it is, frequently.

Just sayin.

And great point nursenic as well.

I love the idea that it's because of fraud that the Tories are cutting benefits

is this your friend OP?

Good point Mrs DV - they could be part-time workers. God knows DH works all hours for a pittance (S.E) but we don't get FSM, never did even when he was making a profit in the minus figures because we were lucky to get WTC that first year while the business was getting off the ground.

"we are all benefit class now" Yes, all happily in it together

I claim DLA on behalf of DS so the Camerons are a bit like me. Difference is, I don't have over thirty million quid in the bank.

foogle getting all uppity on the

Benefit overpayments should be pursued

On the news today they were suggesting 160,000 council properties were being sublet by their tenants who don't require them costing the taxpayer 5 billion per annum.

IMO I don't think OP has done this out of spite and jealousy; as I said before the woman is commiting theft. If more people grew a backbone, abided by the law and a held a decent morality, society would be better - and that goes for everyone from big business bosses, government officals, general workers and those receiving benefits.

We have a 'BECAUSE I'M WORTH IT' culture in uk today, and quite frankly a lot of people show no reason why they are worth it in the first place.

SirSugar The woman is not committing theft till she is proven of it. Innocent till proven guilty.

Is a because I'm worth it attitude the same as a sense of entitlement ?

Oh I want a house pony like usual's woman!

"Decent morality" also dictates we do our best to get our house in order.
Not accuse someone of theft because they have more than us.

False accusations do not indicate someone with a backbone and quite frankly the OPs accusations do not seem to hold water.

Is this a thread about hair dye?

Because I'm worth it

No smoke without fire.

UsualSuspect, I would say its the same.

Yes geekette, thats right, I should have said as I did further upthread, assuming that OPs facts are correct, the family is commiting theft. I stand corrected

ah ,thought so

First of all, as can't go into the personal facts of 'how I know it's fraud' as it would out the woman in question, take it from me that it is definitely fraud and if it was not no way would I have rung.

Like there's simple loads of women who've bought their sons ponies for Christmas, not to mention the BMX bike, xbox, ipad and ski trip....

There's LOADS of women who work in a stables for £25 per hour cash in hand (but not as a stable hand).

I think you've done a pretty good job of concealing her identity haven't you?

Why so shady on the other facts? Especially when it comes to the important ones like, how do you know all this (other than from her son's FB page)?

If it smells like horseshit... well it either is, or I'll be skint paying your son's friend to come and shovel it all up.

Sirsugar...... Why bring up council housing on a benefits thread??

Ok, bingo card updated for SoE

SoE?

at disguising kitchen horse as a new fridge

Are horses set to become the new plasma televisions / goats on these threads? Hope so as I'm starting to like the mucky feckers them.

Maybe I'm wrong but I have always been under the impression that council housing is a subsidised benefit

Sense of Entitlement

I would love to see her DHs face when he tries to open the horse fridge

SoE is a reality