Cheating the system

[AngryNameChanger]

I have a friend, a very good friend in fact, that I want to report for benefit fraud. I feel as unhappy as anything that I feel this way, but I do, and short of cutting all contact with her I will continue to feel very annoyed towards her.
In all honesty, even if I cut all ties, I would still feel very pissed off!

She is a lone parent to 2 primary age kids but she receives a large amount each month in benefits. So much in fact that she manages to save around 500 each month and book holidays, expensive days out and never has to go without anything. It's not on credit, she's very open about it all and will happily tell everyone exactly how much she gets and what it's spent on.

Part of what makes up her huge payments every month is a disability payment for one of the dc, but they are not actually effected by their disability iyswim, and friend has mentioned a few times that she really shouldn't get this payment but when check ups happen they lay it on thickly! I don't want to elaborate more as it could be very outing along with all the other info!

The disability payment, while annoying (her child is as able in everything as other children in every way, but because of a very small thing she gets the payment) isn't the issue, if the powers that be say she is entitled then she's entitled.

I've put this in to show that she's not hard up and stuggling to make ends meet in any way.

My problem is that on top of everything, she's also earning money on the side! Quite a lot of money too, at least £100 per week. Sometimes more.

This is really pissing me off and I'm struggling to remain civil With her when she's talking about money (all the time!)

I feel very strongly that what she's doing is crossing a big line. I don't think it's based on jealousy either, even if that's what's coming across. She is my friend and I don't want to hurt her but at the same time I don't think she should be able to just carry on milking the system for every penny while also earning on the side.

I also don't want to put her in a position of struggling because I've said something, although i do feel that if she wasn't doing it then she wouldn't be in the position of getting in trouble.

In all honesty I don't think I can remain friends either way after putting all this down. It has really clarified It all for me.

So my aibu is, aibu to report her?

Bluntess100, a few pages back she already posted that she would tell her if she reports her. So much for your accusation.

I've never said fraud doesn't happen. The DWP themselves state the figure for fraud PLUS DWP error - so the DWP making a mistake - is 0.4%.

0.4

The reason I come at this from a defensive point of view is:

a) for the FOURTH time in the circs specific to those stated in the OP (who has dropped a goady thread and disappeared, quelle surprise) the friend could be doing the permitted work earning up to £110 a week that you can do if you claim carers allowance. No fraud may be being committed AT ALL. So, the OP may report despite not knowing the full facts and this persons benefits could be stopped for the duration of investigation when they were doing nothing wrong (yes, this does happen, happened to me following a malicious report).

b) too many people assume families with disabled kids 'don't deserve' their DLA. Many of us don't exactly broadcast that we have to do all of our 23 year old's personal care for them amongst numerous other things people outside the family don't see so we get assumptions of scrounging.

All this combined with negative media propaganda has meant disabled people facing unfair cuts that are popular due to the media distortion. It has meant a rise in hate crime towards disabled people. All the time people repeat anecdotes about their cousin's postman's auntie's gerbil's owner's sister based on assumptions rather than facts it makes things worse and worse.

So...the story still hasn't been set straight. Unfortunate.

As others have said, with some benefits you can work and earn around 100 quid or so so if her child gets DLA and she gets carers allowance, I believe she can earn as much as you claim she does.

I always find it rather amusing how people know the ins and outs of others financial situations. It always seems to be people who know what benefits their neighbour is claiming and what disability they are faking/exaggerating. I have never met anyone who tells me what their income is or exactly which benefits they claim and why, yet these people seem to exist in a huge number.

Anyway, if it makes you feel better to report a single mother with a disabled child for doing 'permitted work' then go right ahead. Do not say this person is your friend though, as they obviously are not.

All the people saying it's 'only' £100 a week - I have a full time job and this is less than what I have to live on once I've paid my rent!! If she is getting housing benefit/ tax credits/ JSA/ other benefits then surely I am not alone in thinking this is a lot of money!!

You are probably entitled to benefits yourself if this is true...might be worth checking it out. Most working people I know get housing benefit and tax credits..having a hundred quid left for everything after paying rent sounds extremely low

I think we can all agree however that if we can root out those who cheat there will be more for those in need within a welfare state which we all support.
Whilst I and many others agree that fraud is wrong, it will not if resolved provide more money for those in need.

It doesn't
It never has
It never will
There is more money available via unclaimed benefits than there is lost to fraud and error

You are probably entitled to benefits yourself if this is true...might be worth checking it out. Most working people I know get housing benefit and tax credits..having a hundred quid left for everything after paying rent sounds extremely low

Only if that person has children. Without children, the would be entitled to nothing, even when they work for the same low wages as those who receive tax credits and spend most of their money on rent.

The official levels of fraud might be extremely low, but anyone thinking that some people don't use the system to their advantage is being naive.

I know several families with 4+ DCs who stay in part time local minimum wage jobs because they receive top ups that take their income up to the equivalent of £30/40k pa, which is an extremely good above average salary around here.

People can say 'anecdotes are not data' until they are blue in the face but there are many many people who are in this situation for many years.

Barbara except 1) The Joseph Rowntree Foundation found little evidence of this.
And two, of course people play the system, nobody is saying there is no such thing as fraud, but if everybody who posts knew two families who are fiddling, the fraud would be rife. It isn't.

I think we are going to end up repeating ourselves, A LOT:

Nobody on the thread has said that benefit fraud is OK

And

No, stopping benefit fraud WILL NOT mean there is more money available for those who need it.

There is £13bn in unclaimed benefits apparently! Even if you deduct from that the £1.4bn lost to benefit fraud you're still left with an £11.6bn surplus in the budget.

If you are so appalled then tell your friend.
If you want to report her then tell her that too and give her a chance to stop claiming anything she is not entitled to or to stop earning money she doesn't declare.
You are not a real friend if you cannot be honest with her.

BTW my daughter gets DLA for her son. He has special needs. You wouldn't think by looking at him and he is in mainstream school too but he has SEN and behaviours which my daughter has been told will qualify for DLA until he is an adult. I have sometimes wondered why she gets DLA for him but she was told to apply for it and certainly doesn't 'lay it on thick'

I hate this idea that if the few who commit fraud were stopped, everyone else who is genuine would get more money. There is something ridiculous like 12bn worth of benefits go unclaimed a year, which should mean a mega increase for the disabled right? Nope..doesn't happen.

My son has Disablity allowance and when I worked part time I had careers allowance too - my son still gets his disablity allowance, but as I work full time, I am no longer able to claims careers allowance. Some people may look at my son and think he is Ok- some disabilities are not that obvious, but they do need more care support. You can claim disability allowance for your child - she could possibly exaggerate, but this would not hugely increase her allowance. It can't be faked, as she would need at least 2 professionals ( Doctor and Consultant) to confirm diagnosis. She could possibly apply for careers allowance( which is a reasonable amount) and still be able to work part time and earn £100 ( possible slightly more).
To be honest you don't sound like a friend- I certainly would not want a friend like you!
Go ahead a report her, if that makes you feel better!