For the Concentrix saga to have changed my mind?

[FlameGrilled]

I'm not normally too concerned with benefits cheats, I personally think that the bigger issue is corporate tax avoidance. That's why, when my friend got back together with her long term on/off BF, I didn't really pay much attention to the fact that she didn't bother to declare this fact. I understood that she wanted to see if it would last this time and didn't want the upheaval of having her benefits stopped and started. I also don't like to get involved in other people's affairs.

But, it's now been 5 or more years and they're having another baby. She lives an incredibly comfortable lifestyle what with claiming single parent benefits, single student support and having her partners income. She's also become quite the braggart over the trappings of her lifestyle.

I struggle myself so it grates a little but since reading some of the stories from those who are involved in the Concentrix saga, it's starting to really bother me that she seems to fly under the radar every time.

I use the term friend loosely as we've grown apart over the years and don't really have much in common these days. The benefits thing isn't the only dishonesty she's been involved in either but I can't say too much as it will out me/her. Even so, I'm uncomfortable at the thought of being the cause of her life being made more difficult. Still, it seems grossly unfair that she is getting away with this and has done for so long, particularly when I think of all those who have wrongly had their benefits stopped over suspected fraud when they've done nothing wrong.

AIBU? WWYD?

[Chikara]

single parent benefits There is no such thing -- I think OP meant benefits that you would get as a single parent so whilst Tax Credits are not exclusively single parent they are higher if you claim as a single parent.

Vindication or revenge or any number of motives might be seen to be undesirable ... but if everyone turns a blind eye then those who play fair are worse off. Sooner or later they start thinking it isn't worth being honest. Sooner or later they think it isn't worth voting for better benefits, higher taxes, better services for the poor. They give less to charity, they start to "play the system" themselves, ... it isn't a nice feeling, it causes division - everyone loses.

I'd report a "suspicion" The authorities can investigate

[PageStillNotFound404]

Is "I'm not usually bothered by benefit cheats but I want you to validate me reporting my friend as a benefit cheat and here's a detailed, albeit inaccurate, list of benefits she's getting" the new "I'm not racist but..."?

[FlameGrilled]

As in I secretly hate benefits claimants Page? Would make me a bit of a hypocrite really. Unfortunately I know how iabu works and unless you qualify everything first you get accused of things that aren't really a factor in your thinking.

Thanks for clarifying what I meant Chikara. Maybe I should have been more specific but I was typing in a hurry and thought it was obvious what I meant.

Apologies to those who were offended by the term single parent benefits - it was just an attempt at a catch all phrase as that's how I refer to what I claim.

[FlameGrilled]

Also didn't think it was necessary to list what she claims since it isn't really the point (until I was asked to clarify) - the issue is that she claims as a single parent and receives higher rates/some benefits based on her income when she is very much part of a couple.

[MiniMum97]

No you shouldn't report her. This whole reporting on people thing is a bit too Big Brother/1984 to me. Very unpleasant way to run society.

[Whereismumhiding2]

I think you have an obligation to report her, it's an anonymous report line. She is committing a crime, if she is lying on her benefit claims pretending to be single when she's not & stealing money she's not entitled to. If you saw her stealing money from.a charity box, you'd tell the police, how is this different? And for 5 years??! It's not victimless crime, there's less money to go round those who genuinely need the money, less money for services.
DWP will investigate, if she has nothing to hide, nothing will happen as an outcome, when they look at it.

[ladylanky]

Seen as you know all the ins and outs of what she claims, what her partner earns and what she is/isn't entitled too and you're not that close anymore I assume so do lots of other people. I'm sure she'll blab to the wrong person eventually and if you do report her you'll be one of a long list who knows.
I wouldn't, but I don't have friends that I want to drop in the shit.

[PrettyBlueDressForTheXmasBall]

Tax Credits are not exclusively single parent they are higher if you claim as a single parent.

Actually no they are not. The single person element is the same as the couple element. So maximum tax credits are equal for single parents as they are for those in a couple. The only difference would come in reduction due to earnings.

OP housing benefit and tax credits are claimable by couples and depend on both income and number of children. Do you really know that she gets more than she should or are you assuming it because "she has new cars" etc - which could all be on finance or those deals where you pay monthly but don't own the car. If you're not close to her I don't see how you could truely know any of it.

[kissmethere]

I agree with **ladylanky she'll blab to the wrong person. She sounds like a greedy fool. She's making her bed.

[FluffyWuffyFuckYou]

single parent benefits....There is no such thing

Don't be obtuse. There are things you can claim, or claim more of, as a single parent that you cannot if you are living in a couple, especially when the other half of that couple is making a full wage.
You know that, don't quibble the terminology.

[SanityClause]

I would want to be pretty sure before reporting, as the whole Concentrix thing may mean that if she is innocent of what you suspect, she could go through the mill for nothing.

I know someone who receives various benefits. He has some disabilities, but also manages to do a very active sporting hobby. From a lay person's point of view, it seems as though he could probably find work of some description. But I am aware of how hard it is to get out of work benefits for disabled people, so I assume he is entitled to what he gets, and I keep my nose out.

[FlameGrilled]

Thanks for the replies everyone. It's definitely got me thinking more about the issue.

I know it seems hard to believe that anyone would know this much about another's finances and circumstances but she is really open about what's she's doing which is what pisses people off. She's actually really quite insensitive with it sometimes, telling us about her luxury holidays/cars etc. during conversations where we've been discussing evictions/sanctions etc. I think that's why I find it so hard to stomach because she is almost blatant to the point of bragging that she's getting away with it. She finds it funny that I'm so straight laced and rule abiding but I wouldn't be able to sleep worrying i'd be caught let alone the hypocrisy and unfairness I would be perpetuating.

I am a single parent myself so I know what is and isn't available to people in similar circumstances. She tells us (her friends) what she is getting and some of the things I don't even qualify for as a working single parent yet her partner is bringing in a full time wage.

With so many people aware of what's going on, I'm surprised nobody has thought to report her before but yet she's still getting away with it all these years later. There's a fair few elements to this that I can't really talk about but to put it bluntly, she is quite a selfish person and one of these people who systematically falls in shit but comes out smelling like roses. Everything just seems to work out for her. Maybe that's because she's so dishonest rather than in spite of. I don't know.

lady, this is why I feel so conflicted. I think she still considers me a friend (in her warped selfish way) but as I've aged, I've started to realise that she is not a true friend and she has fucked me over in the past. Having said that, we once were extremely close and I feel a sense of loyalty to her because of that. If I'm honest, I've outgrown her and wouldn't be bothered if I didn't see her again but as I've said she is part of my wider circle and we have mutual close friends (whom she similarly pisses off with this) so I will still get regular reminders that her dishonesty is massively paying off. Comparatively, I have wealthy friends who have enviable lives but I don't feel the same way about them but then they don't tend to insensitively brag about it and aren't openly abusing a system to get what they have.

[Whereismumhiding2]

OP, I understand your mixed feelings, I'd feel angry & conflicted too. But benefit fraud, where she knows she should not be claiming as a single person and has lied on claim forms for past 5 years is deliberate calculated theft. It is not victimless. She isn't struggling to put food on table for DC but telling you how she has more than enough & is choosing to commit fraud for a sustained period of time. I'd be wondering where else would she draw the line if she thinks she could get away with stealing something?
Here is the DWP link to anonymous report line for you to have all the information.
www.gov.uk/national-benefit-fraud-hotline

If you decide to use the hotline, don't discuss it with anyone else in RL, ever, for your sake. It's anonymous for a reason.

[ChelleU]

Your friend sounds very much like a friend of mine. (Ex friend) The only difference is that in this case she has been rather crafty and got her partner to "move" to his father's house that is a five minute drive away. He leaves his things there and his dad agreed to let him go on the electoral roll but he doesn't live there. She doesn't work and he works full time and she is now claiming income support, extra tax credits, housing benefit, council tax benefit, free school meals, free prescriptions/dental and even the two year funding for her youngest child to go to nursery, all of which she would not be eligible to claim if her partner was registered at her house.

Now this is not a new relationship, she has three children with this man and they've been together for years. I came to realise over the years how selfish and money mad my friend is and she'll do anything for a freebie and tries to get away with all sorts to save her a few quid. Well I guess this is just the latest stunt. The sad thing is she has lied to all of her family and friends and doesn't know that I know as I decided not to confront her. Instead I decided to distance myself as I couldn't cope with her anymore. She didn't brag as much as it sounds your friend does but she does go on about how she can can go on nights out constantly, go shopping whenever she wants, is always having hair extensions, expensive tanning and manicures etc.

It's not as though I'm jealous because I can afford all of those things when I feel the need to indulge but I don't cheat the government to fund my lifestyle. She was reported a couple of years ago for living with her partner (not by me) as at first she was claiming he didn't live there but he definitely did and didn't have his things at his father's or was registered there etc. So I think this is why she hastily rushed to get him out of the house, well technically out of the house ie registered legally elsewhere. She's got away with it though as he is legally living elsewhere, even though he's not, he is on paper. So she knows nobody can touch her now.

[NeedsAsockamnesty]

Out of interest how does she get past the Data mining?