AIBU to report family member for benefit fraud?

[YUDOTHIS]

I have a family member who openly (to family) commits benefit fraud. she has one child, who is between 1 and 2 (trying not to out self here). She claims income support and child benefit, housing benefit etc as a single mother, however her partner lives with her (but "legally" lives with and pays tax etc from his mums house) I know that including benefits they have an income of 5k every month. I can't say which is benefits and which is her partners income as i've never asked but I know benefits are low and probably wouldn't top 1.5k max a month including housing benefit.
It really does bother me, as she is quite happy to rub it in my face, she is college qualified and has applied for jobs over the last 7-8 months or so, but has turned down 9 jobs because "I want to be able to afford my monthly boohoo shop and until I can do that in a job I'm staying on benefits" it really does irk me as I know she does not need this income and its wrong while thousands are being sanctioned every week and not having money to live on and she's laughing all the way, I've had to claim benefits myself and I feel people like her just keep the stigma going! I really really want to report but I don't know how many people she has told and if she has only told immediate family I worry it'll kick up a massive stink, I can't lie to save my life either!
WIBU to report her for fraud?

[musicalbingo]

we have graduates in my office working 50 hour weeks earning less take home pay than that "not a lot" of £1.5k.

It is their taxes funding her lifestyle. From the information posted telling her your "feelings" on it is not going to get her to grow a conscience, all you will be doing to tipping her off so she is prepared when they do come round to investigate.

[YUDOTHIS]

I detest boohoo as a shop, the fit and quality are truly awful but lets not divert the thread

[thunderbird69]

I think you should absolutely report - if it were me, I would rather live with the knowledge that I've done that, rather than sat back and let her get away with it.

[SaucyJack]

If he officially lives at his mum's then she may not even be committing benefit fraud. It is not illegal for claimants to have a long-term partner staying overnight.

Does she pay her household bills herself? Do they have a joint account or access to each other's money?

[musicalbingo]

ha!
I did think £5k a month and she shops at boohoo...

[Superexcited]

I would report her if I was certain that she was committing benefit fraud and I wouldn't feel bad about it. You can report anonymously. I wouldn't be bothered about the fallout, anybody could have been responsible for reporting her. If her relationship is relatively new then I might wait a few months to see if they make things official and come off benefits but if they have been carrying on like this for a long time I would feel the need to report it.
Its these fraudulent clams that give genuine benefit claimants a bad name.

[StillStayingClassySanDiego]

Report her if you feel strongly enough about it.

Have a conversation with her and tell her what you're going to do.

Deal with the shitstorm if she's investigated and finds out it was you.

Are you going to do anything [ I suspect not] or are you just wanting a rant about benefit cheats?

[Molliepolly]

If this is true, she is doing something illegal. I absolutely would report her.

[SylvanianCaliphate]

You are unreasonable for reporting a family member because they have more than you.
Rather than reporting why don't you try facing her and saying that you think she's a fraud and you intend to report her, thus saving your family member from legal action and stopping her stealing.

If all of what you say is fact rather than your own guesstimate of course she will stop.

[YUDOTHIS]

Erm he hasn't set foot in his mothers house for nearly 3 months... She is committing fraud, she knows she is and admits it. I wouldn't consider reporting if there was a chance she was innocent.

[Superexcited]

X-posted. As he is the father and they've been together for 7 years I would definitely report it. Her partner is earning good money and yet the taxpayer is still supporting their child and her boohoo habit.

[Ilovecrapcrafts]

Boohoo is cheap and nasty. The fact that she thinks this is some kind of luxury isn't the lifestyle of someone earning £5k a month (we earn more than that and we don't have a fab lifestyle. But I don't think some cheap clothes are worthy of boosting about)
That makes me wonder whether she is getting any of his £3.5k a month take home.
However, I probably would report and let them investigate. It may not be all it seems but they'll find out soon enough particularly if they are as obviously a couple as you say.

[JustinsBeaver]

Why does she keep applying for jobs - which generally have the wage advertised - and then saying it doesn't pay enough for such shit high standards as BooHoo

[midnightvelvetPart2]

Yes you should. The party line on MN is that only a tiny fraction of claims are benefit fraud & people will disagree with your reporting her.

But tax credits are being slashed to the fucking bone, help is being withdrawn for disabled and young people and whilst cuts are being made to those who can least afford it, those who claim falsely should be stopped.

If it is all fine & no crime is being committed then they can both continue as they are. If they have committed a crime & have to repay a significant amount then the longer it goes on for, the more they will have to repay...

[YUDOTHIS]

"if this is true" "If what you say is fact"... I've not lied about a single thing- everything I've said has come straight from her mouth and/or been witnessed by myself. She does not have more than me, No idea where that judgement came from but there we go!
I do intend to report her, thank you all for helping me coming to my decision.

[AuntyMag10]

Yanbu but read the second post if you don't know where all these questions are coming from. It's typical.

[honeysucklejasmine]

You are unreasonable for reporting a family member because they have more than you.

But it's not that, it's that she's commiting a crime, surely? Not everyone is jealous of other people's money. I couldn't give a toss how much someone makes, as long as it's not from illegal sources. Which this is.

[CatMilkMan]

You should report her.

[dashoflime]

Speaking as a Welfare Rights Advisor here. The question of whether someone is in a couple is not at all starightforward. This is from the guidance the DWP use to make decisions:

"All factors of their relationship have to be considered. The significance of each factor can only be determined in the context of all of the factors with none being decisive. There is more to the determination than the cold, observable facts. The characteristics of the relationship of husband and wife may include mutual love, faithfulness , public acknowledgement, sexual relations, shared surname, children, endurance, stability, interdependence, devotion"

I always counsel caution when people are worried someone may be ptetending to be single because without knowing the ins and outs of their relationship, you cant be certain they wouldf actually meet the legal definition of a couple. Lots of peoples relationships are complex and fall somewhere between single and fully committed to each other. Some peoples relationships are very up and down and wouldn't meet the test for stability. Some women are in abusive relationships and desperately, desperately need some pot of money of their own. Not all men actually support their partner financially- even in a relationship where the DWP would consider that they should.

Seriously, I would stay ou of it.

If your family member came to me for advice- I would help her consider whether to put the relationship on an official footing and claim tax credits as a couple. Believe it or not, I have seen people "defrauding" Income Support when they could have been as (or just slightly less) well off legitimately claiming tax credits.

[YUDOTHIS]

HSJ- everything you said with bells on. My household income is higher than hers, still doesn't make what she does right!
The fact that she shops at boohoo is highly irrelevant, the point is she is refusing jobs because they don't allow her shopping sprees and yes she does see all of his income, he keeps 600 for himself and gives her the rest, what she is left in in total being around 4400-4500.... I do really regret posting this now, thanks for warning me, first poster (on mobile can't scroll up)...

[TipsyandT0m]

Yanbu. Please report her. You can do so anonymously. Just make sure you give as much information as possible.

[dashoflime]

ouch typo hell. Forgive me. Im one handed typing and holding a baby here

[Ilovecrapcrafts]

YUDOTHIS why have you waited so long?

[YUDOTHIS]

Does living with someone full time, never staying elsewhere and paying all of the bills not count as being a household? nah.... ok then guys cheers!!

[coffeenowalnuts]

People abusing the system is half the reason cuts are being made

Well, it's one of the excuses they like to give anyway...