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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think reporting someone to dwp for going on holiday is ridiculous?

293 replies

CactusJelly00 · 10/03/2018 07:44

As it doesn't actually mean they're hiding income!
It's happened to someone I know; and she's now in the unfortunate situation of having some of her money stopped while everything is investigated and being treated like a criminal, as someone has reported her for having undeclared income.... because she went on holiday!
Aibu to think this is a ridiculous reason to report someone?
They know who's done it and why, but now she still has to prove herself to the DWP and I just think it's awful that someone's reported her for that.
Would anybody report someone for that? I just can't understand it.

OP posts:
ExFury · 11/03/2018 17:45

As a Benefit Fraud Investigator, I can assure everyone, that Benefit is only suspended if irrefutable evidence is held.

That's absolute rubbish.

What benefit did you actually work with? Because many, inc housing benefit, are stopped while they are investigated.

And they use the "well you'll get it backpaid if it's found that you are entitled" like that helps feed people while they wait.

ExFury · 11/03/2018 17:47

It also could be that while the investigation happens your benefit is actually stopped, so if you receive such a letter you need to go to the interview or be available to be visited exactly as they say to avoid any prolonged periods without benefits.

From the job centre's own website...

Chouetted · 11/03/2018 23:11

My housing benefit was once suspended because a letter got sent back to them by mistake. They sent me a letter to tell me. To the same address.

PUER125 · 12/03/2018 07:54

I can only reiterate what happens in cases investigated within my own team. Benefit is not suspended unless clear evidence is held that entitlement is affected.
I have many years experience as an Accredited Counter Fraud Investigator, prior to that, I spent 25 years working in the various sections of Jobcentre Plus and its earlier guises all the way back to the DHSS. I am very experienced at my job and believe that I am very good at it.
Please don't let any of this get in the way of your anecdotal 'I know someone this happened to'.
Not in my investigations it didn't!

Tessliketrees · 12/03/2018 08:05

I was investigated for benefit fraud around 10 years ago and my benefits continued while the process was ongoing. I was cleared.

I was still treated like shit based on a vindictive persons report. They told me somebody had reported me but obviously wouldn't say who.

I wouldn't report somebody for benefit fraud. Even if I hated them and I had cast iron proof. Years ago I knew loads of people who committed benefit fraud (hence why I think somebody assumed I too was doing it). It didn't make anybody rich, it just made a difficult life a bit easier. Now that benefits are becoming more draconian every passing day I certainly wouldn't dream of doing it.

TheFirstMrsDV · 12/03/2018 08:09

You reacted strongly to my suggestion you were lying PUER
But have no issues telling everyone else on this thread that they are liars.
Sneering at 'anecdotes'.

You are not doing much to improve the reputation of the DWP are you?

Gabilan · 12/03/2018 08:28

I don't think there's much that would improve my opinion of the DWP. Firing it into deep space, possibly. That's about it. Even then I'd be worried for any alien lifeform they encountered.

Graphista · 12/03/2018 08:42

PUER except in my case it happened to ME - 3 times so I KNOW it happens and I KNOW I did nothing wrong and I KNOW that EVERY TIME my benefits were stopped. So NOT an unverified anecdote.

expatinscotland · 12/03/2018 08:43

So people on this thread who have told us that their HB was stopped immediately are liars then, PUER, but you're not Hmm.

Frequency · 12/03/2018 08:51

My HB used to be stopped if someone in the office sneezed. It was ridiculous. They stopped it for me not replying to letters they eventually admitted were 'lost in house' and never sent out. They stopped it when they lost evidence, which they later had to admit when I produced receipts proving I'd handed the evidence in and when they became convinced I had an extra bank account I was hiding from them, I had no idea how to prove I didn't because I had no idea why they thought I did, nor did any of the front of house staff I spoke to.

Eventually I went to CAB and that seemed to force them to get their arse into gear. The only time they stopped it after that was when the DWP told them they'd had reports of me committing benefit fraud.

As I said previously, ime, the employees of the DWP and housing benefit department aren't the brightest buttons in the box.

I'm dreading moving house because no doubt that will trigger another lengthy investigation, during which my HB will be stopped. Thankfully, I am moving to a HA who have their own legal and housing advisors who will help me deal with the incompetence.

Willow2017 · 12/03/2018 08:58

If she's on JSA then she should have been seeking work. If claiming too ill/sick to work but can go away then it's a bit suspect etc. You can see why people have suspicions

Considering all job seeking 'proof' has to be done online now she could easily do that on holiday with op. I signed up to several job sites and you have to log in everything you looked at/applied for with the Job centre website daily.

As for the disability remark, disgusting.

Puer
tell that to the hundreds of people who have benefit stopped for the wrong reasons. I know a few myself. A relative of mine has a debilitating life long illness. Some git who knew abosutely nothing about his condition, and admitted it in front of cab witness decided they were fit for work. Now he has to live off JSA and apply for jobs he will never be able to do and Job Centre are very sympathetic as they know he wont even get an interview but he is just one of many. He missed an interview at job centre because he was in fucking hospital having intensive treatment for his condition flare up and they stopped his benefit till they had 'proof' and it took ages to be reinstated. He was living on hand outs and food banks till it came through.

Gilead · 12/03/2018 09:01

Please don't let any of this get in the way of your anecdotal 'I know someone this happened to'.. Hmm, I don't know anyone it happened to other than ME. My benefits were stopped. The DWPs own website states that it might be stopped. Is that anecdotal?
Not in my investigations it didn't!. So, one person in a huge organisation. It didn't stop in your investigations doesn't mean (as pointed out on your employer's website) that it doesn't happen.
One wonders what chance anyone being investigated by you has if you refuse to back down in the case of irrefutable evidence PUER. Hmm

Graphista · 12/03/2018 09:05

Exactly Gilead shows the intractable, inflexible unsympathetic attitudes those of us on benefits deal with all the time.

TheHungryDonkey · 12/03/2018 09:19

If I were at home I would post a picture of one of the benefit suspension letters I’ve probably kept. I tend to keep all benefit letters I receive.

Puer is unlikely to have worked for any benefit agency given the level of bullshit spouted and is delighting in winding people up.

Tax Credit is another one stopped should any question about a claim arise.

I don’t dare breathe for a change of circumstances, last one of which left me without a penny for three months. That was great fun with two children.

Brown envelopes through the letterbox always stress me right out.

TheFirstMrsDV · 12/03/2018 09:36

Brown envelopes through the letterbox always stress me right out

Its been decades since I was dependant on benefits and I still panic when a brown envelope comes through the door.
My OH is on disability benefits now so that makes it all worse.

An appliance insurance company uses official brown envelopes to send out their spam. They do it so people open their letters. They freak me out every single time.

TheHungryDonkey · 12/03/2018 10:24

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MysticFlyTrap · 12/03/2018 10:33

Why would anyone do such a thing to another human being. I don't get the stigma surrounding benefits and why people wrongly assume they musn't have a phone, tv or holiday. It's like some people want people to live in the dark ages and have no life whatsoever. You are a longtime dead and if you can have things you want then have them.

sashh · 12/03/2018 10:35

A holiday is a luxury and something that shouldn't be affordable on benefits.

What a terrible attitude.

There are quite a few charities/organisations that give holidays to people.

Denise Bulger bought a caravan to allow families a holiday free of charge.
www.justgiving.com/jamesbulgermemorialtrust

My parents were involved with a small local charity, they send one family a year to Butlins, pay for transport and give £100 spending money. And no it doesn't need to be declared because it is a one off.

There are charities that own accessible accomodation, there is even one that teachers disabled people to fly.

sashh · 12/03/2018 10:41

PUER125

I had my housing benefit stopped because someone put in a claim using my address, they said they had lived there for two weeks and moved on, they then asked for a cheque to be sent to them.

No amount of me saying I lived there and no I had not moved out helped.

Fortunately they visited and were satisfied I was living there and it was reinstated.

Chouetted · 12/03/2018 11:40

I'm honestly baffled by that sort of attitude @sassh. Like many people, I use holidays to maintain relationships with family and friends. I didn't realise being on benefits was supposed to isolate me from my loved ones.

I'm genuinely terrified to live in the same country as some of the opinions expressed in this thread.

DullAndOld · 12/03/2018 11:43

lots of people would like nothing better than to shop their neighbours for having more than they do, and an awful lot of them are on this site..:)

I know 'get a life' is a cliché, but it seems quite apposite in this case.

MysticFlyTrap · 12/03/2018 12:00

I agree with you chouette, i have ended up as a single parent on benefits due to emotional and pyscical abuse (my ex dh was the main provider) so if me and the children decide we can manage a holiday this year i shall bloody well have one as my children deserve one as do i. I have a children under school age so i cannot work until she starts school even though i wish i could. Unfortunetely no one to do childcare for me during half terms either not that i can afford it !

QuiQuaiQuod · 12/03/2018 12:13

I wouldn't report someone for benefit fraud personally even if I knew it was definately going on. My personal threshold for reporting people is if their behaviour is directly harming someone else

^^ like genuinly disabled people who have to go to hell and back to get even 1 penny of help while others get away with fraud?

Thanks, poster who wrote that.

Gromance02 · 12/03/2018 13:35

This happened to me when I was on JSA. I was on a holiday at a friend's holiday home for a week. I told the job centre and they said they would just ring me to check on how my job-search was getting on while I was away. Where I was staying had a terrible mobile phone signal so I missed the call. When I got to an area with a signal, there was a message to say that seeing as I hadn't answered the phone, they assumed I'd got a job and I was no longer to receive JSA. Too about 6 weeks to get it reinstated and wasn't back-paid!

Gilead · 12/03/2018 15:19

like genuinly disabled people who have to go to hell and back to get even 1 penny of help while others get away with fraud?
It's trial by press that has created that situation; vastly exaggerating people's perception of fraud, when it is in fact very low.