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AIBU?

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Original poster

To report family members for benefit fraud

176 replies

Blueberrymuffint0p · 18/06/2014 20:09

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?

OP posts:
Susyb30 · 19/06/2014 23:01

Why on earth should you report them, sounds like they may have been sussed out anyway. Haven't you got anything better to do with your time? They are your family. .doesn't mean you have to agree with it, but I think reporting them is wrong. Their finances are none of your business, neither is what they do. I think your being a bit nosy and should concentrate on your own affairs! The whole benefits system is fucked up anyway..people who genuinely need them (and get pathetic amounts to live on) getting cuts and have to go through degrading tests to "prove" they should still receive their miniscule amounts of money..then of course you have people that get everything from the system no questions asked! Its not something I would do as I would probably get caught and would hate to live my life looking over my shoulder. .but if someone else wants to then its none of my business and to be quite honest good luck to them. The system is screwing so many people so why should we snip on people who we think are fraudsters. .to benefit them? Sorry but I just wasn't brought up to be a grass! Would feel really shitty about it.

dawndonnaagain · 19/06/2014 23:29

My goat gets DLA and a free car, so there.

GarlicJuneBlooms · 19/06/2014 23:53

I park my benefits Porsche in your goat's disabled space, Dawn.

GarlicJuneBlooms · 19/06/2014 23:55

Susy - I normally have a bit of a problem with stream of consciousness type posts, but I loved yours :)

ICanHearYou · 20/06/2014 07:17

It sounds to me like you just had a bit of a rubbish advisor. If you can prove someone is living somewhere else/paying rent and they can show they are buying their own food and doing their own washing then they are not living with you.

Finances are different and it is hard to separate them all out, we are still finding different things that he needs to change his name on and move over into my name or whatever and I imagine we will keep finding various things for a while. He also has had to pay out lots on a deposit and his rent so he has no money and I've had to lend him some which is BAD I know but I can't have him starving.

I think (from what I've heard) the biggest issue you will have is that you are still going on holiday with him etc. That is considered to be behaving like a family to TC's which I think is awful for the children.

shockinglybadteacher · 20/06/2014 07:41

LOL at DLA for whiplash, you're kidding me on. Is this one of those ones where ESA and DLA get mixed up?

dawndonnaagain · 20/06/2014 08:06
ILoveCoreyHaim · 20/06/2014 08:45

That is considered to be behaving like a family to TC's which I think is awful for the children.

How?

I have been on holiday with the in laws with the kids and I have also been o holiday just me, him and he kids. It's gone on 6 years and hasn't had any effect on the kids. I get on great with my in laws and my family still get on with him. He does school runs and babysits while I work. Can't see how it's awful for he children at all. They can see him whenever they want to And their extended family.

ILoveCoreyHaim · 20/06/2014 09:02

My paternal GPS split up when my dad was a teen. They gated very good friends and had to share he care of my uncle with downs syndrome as in the 60s/70s there wasn't the help there is now and they had 3 other kids under 10. They holidayed together and shared care of the kids but we're not together. Wouldn't say it was awful for them.

Although I can see how it might be harder to prove you are actually apart when you remain friends. I guess it's up to the compliance officer.

ICanHearYou · 20/06/2014 09:08

I think you've entirely missed my point.

Tax credits consider you spending time together as a family, days out, holidays etc as being part of a couple.

They can use this against you in an investigation.

THAT is awful for the kids, because lots of single people don't share that family time in case they are wrongly accused of being a couple. We do things as a family because it is better for the children and frankly if tax credits use that against us I will write them a strongly worded email telling them what's what.

I don't think it is right that TC's can dictate the amount of time a NRP spends with their children, it shouldn't come into it.

dawndonnaagain · 20/06/2014 09:22

Interesting figures.

To report family members for benefit fraud
shockinglybadteacher · 20/06/2014 09:23

MN needs a like button...

ILoveCoreyHaim · 20/06/2014 09:24

Oh I see. Yes it does worry me and I have went as far as not letting him stay 2 nights per week while I am at work. He stays till 2am then goes home then comes back and does he school run.

All I am saying is from what I have read and been told about it is you have to be careful as it seems it is up to a compliance officer to determine if he thinks your a couple. If I got reported and they watched me they would see him coming to the house twice a day and leaving at 2 am so I think I would struggle to prove we are not a couple

ICanHearYou · 20/06/2014 09:54

Yes we have the same problem, he comes to put the children to bed one night in the week and then he is here sat/sun nights and every other Friday night.

Mind you I don't know how they would 'watch' us without it being really obvious because of where we live.

vitaminz · 20/06/2014 09:59

Mumsnet poster - "I saw someone I know robbing a bank"

Mumsnet responses - "Keep out of it", "It's none of your business", "don't be a grass".

ILoveCoreyHaim · 20/06/2014 10:10

A neighbour in my street got watched. Looking back she remembers them being parked up. They had photos of her going junto and leaving work. She was totally confused with her benefits, should have been claiming WTC but wasn't and was on a trial if some sort. Her ex reportereported her when she asked him for money as she was struggling. They interviewed her under caution the produced the photos

ILoveCoreyHaim · 20/06/2014 10:11

Ignore typos on phone

ILoveCoreyHaim · 20/06/2014 10:13

To top it off she would have been better off and wasn't claiming what she should have been

ILoveCoreyHaim · 20/06/2014 10:33

ICanHearYou
Have you mentioned your situation to your advisor, just curious really.

When job hunting she put hours available to work down as 8 am - 6pm the hours the nursery or childminders work. I told her I can work late shift and back shift but she told me not to put that down as he won't be allowed to come to the house and watch the kids. She told me not to bother applying for the job I am working now as hey would ask why I wasn't claiming the childcare element and who is looking after the kids. It would be so much harder getting the kids up, fed , dressed and walk to the childminder in time for work at 8 am or 9am. It effectively ruled out 100s of jobs I could easily get due to having experience.

ICanHearYou · 20/06/2014 10:39

What 'advisor'?

ILoveCoreyHaim · 20/06/2014 10:54

Ah you might not be seeing one. When I came off IS and swapped to JSA I had to see a loan parent advisor weekly. When I was on IS I it seen her every 6 months

ICanHearYou · 20/06/2014 10:54

everytime I call I speak to someone different, I have never been allocated a Tax Credits Advisor, I don't know anyone else that has one either?

ILoveCoreyHaim · 20/06/2014 12:19

It's not a tax credits advisor, she's a lone parent advisor. All lone parents have one but on IS you used to see them 6 monthly which changed to 3 monthly. If you a lone parent on JSA you sign on with your lone parent advisor where I am. If you don't have kids you sign on with the normal sign on person.

ICanHearYou · 20/06/2014 12:22

I've never been on JSA or IS... Thats probably why I don't have one.

NeedsAsockamnesty · 21/06/2014 00:44

She gave you some shockingly bad advice.

Those things in isolation can not be used to make a LTAHAW decision it is also not dependant on the compliance officer they have rules they have to follow and a reasonableness test, they also have to take into account any explanation for certain occurrences provided by you.

Any claim stopped and considered to be fraudulent based solely on a NRP's interactions with his/her children and the provision of childcare would be a an overturned decision and the compliance officer would look pretty silly

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