To report family members for benefit fraud

[Blueberrymuffint0p]

Suspected benefit fraud I should say.

My cousin and his wife have 5 children. I know nothing about their financial situation ie.if they're struggling, in debt etc. cousin works full time, cousin in law is a part time self employed beautician.

12 months ago they announced they were having a trial separation. Cousin moved in with his mum (my auntie) He spent all his time at the family home but used aunts house to sleep in. This started to tail off about 6 months ago when he'd only sleep at aunts house about twice a week.

A couple of weeks ago he drops into conversation that they think the house is being 'watched' he hints at social services (they've had dealings with the family before). Suddenly he's back to sleeping at my aunts every night again.

They seem to be, in every other way a normal couple. They spend weekends together, nights out etc. It seems pretty obvious that they're on the fiddle and it's hard working people like my husband and I who are picking up the bill not to mention the pressure on my elderly aunt who's worried sick about her son. She doesn't know if the marriage is on the rocks and is washing his clothes, cooking meals etc. When asked directly he mumbles about things being 'complicated'

I don't know what to make of it. Should I keep out of it or make a phone call?

I have a feeling that some of the posters who are being really defensive are actually benefit cheats themselves.

I have a feeling that some of the posters who are being really defensive are actually benefit cheats themselves.

That's right people - the only way to prove you're not a scumbag benefit scrounger is to joing the baying mob. I'd better kick a por person quickly to establish my innocence

Lapsed Pacifist - Benefit is not stopped whilst an investigation is ongoing, particularly in Living Together Investigations. To do so would alert the claimant to the investigation, and would make surveillance of the alleged 'marital' home obsolete.
I can't count the number of times I have conducted an Interview under Caution, and the old chestnut' But he is allowed to stay three nights a week' is quoted. This is an Urban Myth. The number of nights the alleged partner stays is irrelevant. After all, a long distance lorry driver might only sleep at home one night a week, does that mean he and his partner do not live together?
Suspected Benefit Fraud should always be reported, giving as much information as possible, such as where the partner works, what time he leaves and returns to the house, car registration numbers, holidays taken, to name but a few
People seem to forget that a 'single' parent of three children in rented accommodation, will be receiving in the region of £350 plus per week including housing costs, on benefits; a not inconsiderable sum. It is everyone's duty to safeguard the public purse.
On a lighter note, it also keeps me in work until I retire on my 'gold-plated' pension in seven years time!!!

poor^ person

Do fuck off, all, there's a dear.

That's it I'm reporting dawn

To MNHQ and benefit scroungers hotline and anyone else I can think of.

Exleodensian, the CAB advise that benefit can be suspended during investigation for benefit fraud. Are they wrong?

Are you reporting them to do good for society, or just to get at them?

If you do report them then own up to it. If you don't have the conviction for that then don't involve yourself in something when you don't have solid proof of circumstances.

So does the government's own website.

www.gov.uk/benefit-fraud

So it really isn't a case of no harm done, especially given the public animosity towards benefit claimants along with the myths about the scale of fraud and often spurious reasons for reporting. It seems a bit irresponsible to suggest that suspected benefit fraud should ALWAYS be reported when you don't know what may be motivating some of those suspicions.

cousin works full time, cousin in law part time ... hard working people like my husband ...

You don't even see what you did there, do you, OP?

Benefit fraud is £1bn, corporate tax avoidance is approx £35bn. The people doing the benefits fraud are mostly poor; the corporates are stinking rich. And, yes, benefits are stopped during investigation.

It doesn't even sound as if your cousin is committing fraud - you're just leaping to a load of foolish conclusions, including that social services have something to do with benefit fraud

Actually this has really annoyed me. Encouraging people to report any little suspicion they have is basically giving the green light to any vindictive person with a daily mail view of the world to potentially cause untold misery to their relatives, colleagues, neighbours, just because they feel like it. And they can do it with pride because they are told it is their civic duty. And the claimants themselves? Well the simple fact that they are on benefits means they should expect to be viewed with suspicion at all times, and be ready for a knock on the door or a letter which could blow their world apart and leave them unable to feed their children. After all, they claim benefits so they don't matter.

What's social services got to do with the DWP? Two different tentacles of the State, there ;)

Either they're being watched by DWP fraud investigators like the comrade upthread, in which case you reporting them will do fuck all (especially as you admit you don't have details of their finances) as the PTB already have them in their sights, or someone else is watching them, in which case you are doing nothing but adding to their troubles.

I've never done a benefits fraud in my life, but if I had a family member who was, I'd speak to them not report them.

So what happens to the kids if there is no money? For any reason?

Feeding kids is always the right thing to do, regardless of what their parents get up to.

£350 a week benefits including rent! Flip, they must be living it up with all that and five kids!! Report them now. I mean they probably even have a hot tub.

They both have jobs, their children will not starve because they are being investigated for benefit fraud.

I find it disgusting how many people would knowingly protect criminal fraudsters, and what's worse is that they'd do so completely believing they have the moral high ground. It's bizarre.

If the children did end up missing out on anything, that would be down to their parents. No one else.

I find it disgusting that many people would report others just in case they are criminal fraudsters, simply by virtue of being on benefits, with no hard evidence at all.

I find it disgusting how many people would knowingly protect criminal fraudsters,

Woo what thread are you reading?

It's not about protecting, it's about not interfering in something which really has nothing to do with you. I honestly could not give a toss if someone is on the fiddle. I have enough going on in my own life, to be worrying about what someone on benefits is doing for a relatively small amount.

Oh FFS not another benefits fraud thread,

CAB and www.gov.uk/benefit-fraud, statethat benefit may be suspended whilst an investigation is ongoing. In reality, I would only request benefit be suspended if the Fraud is a 'fact', for instance, if an investigation showed a claimant was working full time or had assets in excess of the proscribed limits.
Scarlet, the amount I quoted was for three children, in this case there are five children so the overpayment per week would be upwards of £500. If the fraud goes undetected for a year, that is £26,000 stolen from the public purse. I don't know about you, but that is slightly more than I earn in a year, and should not be condoned.
I should add that I was a single parent for over a decade, working full time, on a lot less wage than I currently earn, at a time when my mortgage interest rate was 15%, so I know what it is to struggle.
In my view, theft is theft.

Woo Woo if this is the same as any other crime then why aren't malicious callers done for wasting the investigators time same as ppl can be done for wasting police time.

And before you say the callers are anonymous....calls can be traced.

It wouldn't have anything to do with me if I knew someone was about to drive themselves round the M25 after having 10 pints, but I'd still think I had a moral responsibility to report it.

Either OP knows they are committing fraud or she doesn't. If she does, then she has a moral responsibility to report it. If she doesn't, then she would be right to not interfere.

Malicious callers should be prosecuted for deliberately wasting police/paramedic/whatever time.

I really don't get your point.

Shockinglybadteacher = As the 'comrade' mentioned in your post, I think it is offensive to tarnish me such, simply because I am a Civil Servant.

If it involved anyone in my family, I'd stay the hell out of it. Even the ones I hated. It's not worth the potential backlash. And you never know when you might need the same kind of discretion.