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?

So you would only request benefits be suspended when fraud is proven but does that apply to all other investigators? And why have that option?

Well of he thinks social services are watching them (Which may I add social services don't operate like that, so he is wrong) and then moves out, I would suspect it's nothing to do with benefits but to do with what ever the reason social services were involved with in the past and maybe it's been agreed he doesn't stay in the family home.

Sorry ex, it's an old habit, and meant as a compliment not an insult I just realised that read as if I was accusing you of being KGB or something. I actually spent the evening talking about "DWP comrades" and naturally included you as one of that number.

I was reported for benefit fraud by a council jobsworth. My housing benefit was suspended. I was not guilty and they were unable to find any proof of wrong doing after an 8 week investigation, during which my landlord turned up almost nightly to threaten me. At one point I am sure he threatened me with violence. His exact words were "You should be careful what you are doing here, you don't know who you are dealing with" When pressed he wouldn't clarify exactly what he meant.

That's how I ended up moving in with abusive twat I have just gotten rid of. I ended up having to rush into moving in with him when I was unsure whether I even wanted to stay with him. It was over 7 years ago but I could still happily punch that council worker in her smug little face.

My benefits were reinstated the week after I g added in my notice to my landlord.

Be sure you know they, especially she is willfully commiting fraud OP.

That's awful doing. Very good point to suggest to know especially if she is committing fraud as any potential affects or fall out may affect the woman and children significantly especially considering my previous post.

Shocking - You are hereby forgiven. (Would now do a smiley if I knew how).
Basgetti - Suspending benefit has a protocol, and can't be done without very good reason. All Fraud Investigators should follow the protocol.
The only reason I would ask for benefit to be suspended in a 'working' or 'capital' case is that the fraud is proven by the evidence, and as there is often a period between the receipt of evidence, the interview under caution, getting the interview typed up and referring the case to the Decision Maker, benefit is suspended so as to not compound the overpayment.
In a 'Living Together' investigation, until a Decision Maker decides the outcome of the investigation, benefit continues to be paid.

Yes ... I was made homeless by an interfering neighbour who assumed I was fiddling (I wasn't!) because she saw me in the pub Benefits were suspended, rent wasn't paid, landlord wouldn't wait, I was evicted.

The rent arrears were made up when the investigation concluded - but by then I'd been forced to go & live with a family member hundreds of miles away, which was hideous and meant I could only be re-housed in the new area. Which I'm still in, still missing my friends.

Garlic that is shocking. Your story to Cleanin. But don't worry because accordig to pps no harm done by the false reports because you were innocent

Fideliney people don't seem to recognise there are consequences like what happened to Garlic. Report someone to the coppers, consequences. Gossip about someone being a bit...off...with young girls, consequences. Report to the benefits fraud hotline, consequences. Report to HMRC, consequences. If you are going to do it, you must be 100 percent certain of facts. The OP is not as she does not even know how their finances pan out.

Fideliney I fell asleep, I'm reporting you for, erm, erm, oh, being on my side!

If the children did end up missing out on anything Food? Family? Really?

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. Argument using logical fallacies is not an argument.

'he's back to sleeping at my aunts every night again'

so he isn't living with his DP then.End of story.

Good thread, this. Maybe thanks to this some people will think a bit more before reporting others.

There should be consequences for benefit fraud. Just like criminals should be prosecuted. You won't get any sympathy for me for benefit crimes. You committed the crime, you go to jail. So think twice before you commit the crime!

Should those consequences be applied before guilt is proven? Should the children be effected by them? In most cases the children are the ones who suffer the most when benefits are suspended or docked.

I personally can't get het up about benefit crime. They're nothing more than easy target compared to big business tax evasion.

The rules on what counts as a couple are complicated- it's not as simple as where x sleeps x nights of the week.

But even if they are being dishonest then it will be the DCs who suffer.

If social services have been involved maybe there's been dv and he isn't allowed to live there but they still want to be together.

Hi, I did this, well, similar. A girl was claiming DLA after a car accident years ago where she hurt her neck. We go so fed up of seeing photos on Facebook of her snowboarding and all sorts a few of us used a form online.

Few months later she was raging about the bastard government etc on Facebook so I think I did the right thing. No it probably doesn't make me a very nice person, but I feel better than I did.

I probably would in your situation too.

They don't have to be living together to be commit up benefit fraud if claiming as a single parent. Even if living apart but behaving as a couple can be seen as benefit fraud now under new rules, the 3 night rule is a load of crap and hasn't been in place for years. I am separated but friendly with my DCS father. I work till 1/2am and was advised by my advisor he couldn't stay at my house 2 nights per week on sofa to watch the kids. We could be classed as behaving as a couple which is enough to be investigated for fraud. She actual told me not to take the job if I was going to use this option for childcare.

Oops on phone ignore typos.

Now I took the job and he watches them one night per week in my house but leaves at 2am and they go to his dms the other nite but if someone decided to report me I would probably be seen as committing benefit fraud. We have been separated for 6 years but share childcare. He does school runs etc.

There are various links on here but it is definitely a much tighter system now wih regards to people who are actually a couple but living apart. Even if living apart you may still be committing fraud

www.revenuebenefits.org.uk/tax-credits/guidance/how-do-tax-credits-work/understanding-living-together/#What is a couple?

you sound horrible. Why would you try and make trouble for people??

YouKnow, DLA is an 'extra' payment to help people cope with a bad disability. It's not money for the basics to live on. So dobbing your colleague in was a completely different thing from OP wanting to cut off her cousin's benefits.

See I find that disgusting that people are so ignorant about disabilities. That you can't be deemed disabled if you can carry out sports. FFS look at the Paralympics, there are snowboarders and skiers who are disabled. DLA was designed to support people with disabilities to make reasonable adjustments or help. How do you know her DLA wasn't being used to provided adequate access to things other people take for granted such as travel and leisure.

Yes, Can. I had, perhaps wrongly, assumed that the girl with whiplash wasn't snowboarding wearing a neck brace or similar. It might have been safer to assume that people who make anonymous accusations are acting from a position of ignorance :(