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.

Really? gosh. Well then well done you.

YANBU

If more people report suspected benefit fraud and it is stopped then there is more available to those who need it.

He got a pony?

Reporting people for benefit fraud is nothing to be ashamed of. You would report other crimes - why not this? Of course if she has really gone to town on it she could be jailed and your ds's friend spend time in foster care - but that rests in her own hands. Always has done.

Good for you. Not only is she claiming benefit fraudulently by pretending she's a single mum but also getting £25 p/h cash in hand! She's taking the piss.

People like this really annoy me especially when I see how much tax DH and I pay each month to subsidise their lifestyle.

Wow, I don't blame you for being pissed off.

I've always tried to be a bit live and let live, karma will get them etc about this kind of thing and probably wouldn;t have the gut to phone. But that really takes the piss.

As an aside, when I first left Uni I was working in a call centre for the princely sum of 11k a year and struggling to pay rent on my crap room in the very pricey S.E. They had a charity thing up in the foyer asking for donations to take underpriveleged children to the panto one christmas.

I thought that was a lovely and found the money to donate.

I later found out that the daughter of one of DP's friends went on that trip. Her mother was claiming benefits and housing benefit as a single parent despite the fact that her full-time working DP was living with her. It still makes me to think of it.

i think there is way tmi in her post, first one or not. only becuase of the stables etc..., it wouldn't be so much info if her friend had a less unusual job if you see what i mean.

Yes, these are actually facts.

But I also feel bad at reporting her, but the excessive spoiling over christmas and now the expensive school trip has done me in. We work but pay for everything and there is absolutely nothing left over.

My son is delighted he's going on the school trip as he said his friend's mum wrote to the school getting him to go for free and as she's on full benefits.

Never mind the ponies...will someone think of the goats FGS!

Well done! seems to me also that the fatter the child is the 'freer' the school meal (im also finding school meals quite expensive).

Lots of these sort of threads about again

I don't believe the story- because I find the 25 quid cash in hand at stables completely incredible.

Any more jobs going at the stables OP?

£25 per hour at a racing stables? Has she told you this? Because in my experience (and I have lots because I work with racehorses) she would have to be an under rules jockey who is fairly successful to be earning that kind of money. Mostly its minimum wage.

Also, the pony will be cheap as chips to keep - it will be part of her job agreement so I wouldn't get too exercised about that. But the rest, of course you did the right thing. Well done, and get this thread deleted in case she recognises herself/you.

I would report them. It's disgusting behaviour and it beggars belief that they're getting away with it until now!

The pony was a nice touch though.

I imagine she's probably getting £25 per horse she rides, rather than per hour. That's the standard rate for work riders around here.

Good on you for reporting her OP

[wonders if OP is local]

I've just found out im being made redundant, can you ask your DS's friends mum if there are any jobs going at those stables??

I actually do not care if I get outed with too much information tbh as what I'm writing is not hearsay it is fact.

I am so angry at this. What can she do anyway if she does suspect me? The thing is they are going to investigate her and about time!

I should have done it a long time ago but I didn't because I didn't know the full facts.

Another similar case on here a while back prompted me.

Or she is a blacksmith working on the sly ?

How much does her husband earn?

You did the right thing. However what also annoys me is a friend who boasted she bought her husband a VERY expensive camera for Xmas but got a good deal as she bought it through the family company so didn't pay VAT.

Could you be a stealth blacksmith? Would have thought it involved lots of noisy banging.