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 don't believe this.

Can't afford school dinners, second hand lego set for Christmas??

Are you allowed to work cash in hand full time and claim full benefits?

She's working full time @ £25 an hour cash in hand? So £1000 a week.

Why don't you get a job at the stables, you might be able to afford school dinners and get some decent Christmas presents next year.

You've done the right thing. Benefit fraud - however minimal, and whether or not she's getting £25 per hour - is theft. The other issue us that she is claiming as a single mum but living with a working partner.

I believe strongly, firmly, absolutly in the welfare state. I would defend it with my last breath. That's why I see no shame in reporting suspected fraud. The OP has reasonable suspicion, she's done the right thing. If she is wrong, the investigation will show the lady innocent - no harm done. Sometimes they do an investigation without even needing to contact the suspect. They may interview her / her partner. That's ok. The welfare state needs mechanisms to check the truly needy are geting the right help.

I consider benefit fraud one of the nastiest crimes tbh, because it affects every single one of us - and it is effectively stealing from pensioners, disabled people, mothers on maternity leave - the most vulnerable. And, as another poster says, it can cause innocent legitimate claimants to become criminalised in the public mind.

I don't claim benefits, but I am happy to contribute towards those who need help and do. And if I thought someone was committing fraud I would report it too.

Not sure what to actually think. She shouldn't be getting benefits is she is not in need but on another hand-she is your son's friends mother...Not sure,if i was you,that i would have clear conscience ...i couldn't sleep and would (part of me ) feel guilty ....Are you sure all of your stated info is %100 true?
I think you reported her for the wrong reason--because of jealousy rather the right-wrong reason....Goes around comes around...And by saying that i am NOT supporting that woman,but know your facts for sure before you put people through lots of difficult questioning....

There aint no 'fraud team' whose got a job like that? no money for fraud leads and no inspectors, dont make me laugh.

just to say again-I AM NOT SUPPORTING FRAUD -but people should know things for sure

Op....again.....WHICH benefits is she claiming???

'full benefits' there are many, which ones? It matters you see....

So lets be clear, OP has concrete proof that this woman is illegal claiming benefits. She does the law abiding duty thing and puts the wheels of justice in to motion. So why is she telling us? Wants to brag, feels guilty? Needs to let it be known she cannot think of any other way that this family has all these things other than illegal means?

Or is it another ploy to separate out "them" and "us" the deserving verses the undeserving.

Wonder what the reaction would be if she is the cause of the child being taken in to care as a result of both parents being jailed for fraud. Or what if behind all this the mother was the victim of daily serious DV, and claims she is using the extra income to fund her escape. I am not making excuses as fraud is fraud, I am pointing out the effect of unintended consequences that flow from actions we are not able to think through with out all the facts.

so sorry leprech for being a tad jealous which I admit I most surely am.

I am no angel myself and don't claim to be but I certainly would not lie and cheat like this because there are plenty of people who absolutely depend on benefits.

I suppose it is very cowardly of me not to confront her myself but then I don't think I have the power of a citizen's arrest for this kind of thing so had no choice but to report it to the authorities.

The son has outed his own mother on FB because of his deliriously happy lifestyle and standard of living!

I believe the OP. Not least because I don't believe any one would be weird enough to make up something so uneventful.

So do those posters who don't believe the OP think she is exaggerating or the potential fraudulent claiment is exaggerating? Or that the OP is just not telling the truth?

There has been a suspected fraud call made. Therefore there will be an investigation. If the claiment has not commited fraud there will be no issue and no effect on her benefits.

If she has then she will be penalised accordingly.

Where is the problem with that?

at compo's elaborate itchy chin gag!!

I am sure I've read a very similar OP - with the horse an' all.

Well done OP.

It doesn't matter if she is the OP's sons friends mum. If she is living with a partner and working she doesn't need the benefits and by the sounds of things she won't exactly be poor without them. She'll survive.

Couldn't he ride the goat instead

A 'fraud team' is an urban myth, there is no public money for recruiting new police officers or firefighters or midwives or extra care in the community but there 'so happens' to be fraud teams ready in place for annonymous tipoffs? and the government really,really cares about some two bit benefit fraudster as they hand over another couple of billion to India.

Compos this is not made up. Could info provided by the son on fb be used as evidence?

These threads just always seem to coincide with whatever hate campaign is currently being printed/ planted in the daily fail.

Cynical, moi?

Hang on...the son outed his mother on Facebook? He told everyone on fb his mother was a benefit cheat...really?

Well done op

Interesting timing of this thread

Billy, sometimes they'll suspend the benefit payments while the investigation takes place. If someone is diddling the system a few weeks without benefit isn't going to cause them a problem as they have their dodgy income. If someone isn't diddling the system and is totally relying on benefits then a few weeks without can put them in a very difficult situation.

I don't know about wages for racing stables but those who do have said that £25 an hour is unlikely. That's not to say she isn't working cash in hand.

Good job OP. Hopefully she will get sacked and you can then work in the stables and buy your son a stallion made from Lego next year.