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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Have you ever reported someone for benefit fraud?

115 replies

Wecandothisthing · 15/07/2018 12:25

Just that really.

Also, if someone had been reported anonymously, would they know SOMEONE had reported them or do the DWP just say that they had investigated?

If the reported individual is told that SOMEONE has reported them, they may be able to narrow the suspects down easily, by who knows their financial situation or, worse still, may acuse family members who did not report them.

OP posts:
villandrychat · 15/07/2018 15:27

I did. Woman was claiming as a single parent but had a partner and was working cash in hand. Drove a brand new car, holidays abroad, taking the piss. I wouldn't have reported her, but she harassed me, accusing me of sleeping with her stepdad. It was so bad I had to get the police involved. Unfortunately for her I had a contact who could do some digging, and I felt no compunction at all in reporting her. She picked the wrong person to mess with - her benefits were immediately stopped.

3rdrockfromthesun · 15/07/2018 15:29

Yes because I do not work and pay my taxes for someone to take the mick. And before anyone gets on their high horse I have worked in welfare to work for 3 years and did not loose a wink of sleep doing it

backaftera2yearbreak · 15/07/2018 15:33

I’m a welfare rights officer in and work for a local authority. There are no circumstances under which I would report someone. However, if I knew they were incorrectly claiming benefits I would not assist them to do so.

Babyroobs · 15/07/2018 15:34

3rdrock - Yes me too , I work in benefits advice work and see it every day - people trying to hide large sums of money/ inheritance/ extra houses, people not declaring tax ' because they didn't realise they had to ' , people trying to pretend they don't have a working partner living with them. All to maximise the benefits they can claim. Disgusting when there are so many genuine claimants struggling to survive and navigate the system and are in genuine need..

Babyroobs · 15/07/2018 15:35

Sorry that should say not paying tax.

WigglyBlossom · 15/07/2018 15:39

Yes, and I do not regret it either.

3rdrockfromthesun · 15/07/2018 15:41

I used to say to people when they started to talk about how they got around the system - that I was quite happy to ring the fraud office if they went any further. Surprising how many shut up.

SandyFagina · 15/07/2018 15:43

No - because I'm not a nasty piece of pondlife who gets pleasure from the misery of others.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 15/07/2018 15:46

I bet there are very few middle class people grassing up their mates for tax evasion

I wouldn't know, but perhaps any who avoid "grassing up" Hmm middle class mates believe they're also struggling with things in their life which make it excusable?

It may not be excusable at all, but it's not made less so just because of the class they belong to - unless the alleged "spite" in reporting somehow stops applying because of perceived advantage

Otherwise known as moral relativism, I believe ...

sissy89 · 15/07/2018 15:47

I do think it's hard regarding having a partner living with you.

I mentioned my dh's ex further down the thread who is currently a benefit fraud and has been since I met dh.

However she constantly threatened to contact DWP regarding me and dh because dh started staying a couple of nights a week.

However dh told her to go ahead and do it because he wasn't financially contributing to my household. Which I could prove and so could he.

But I always started to feel we were doing something wrong. There was no money going into my bank from him. He wasn't paying any bills etc. But he did start to stay a few nights a week.

I bet there are a lot in this situation. Where you have a partner and you are thinking about moving in however you want to test it out first. Which is the sensible thing to do.

However there will be a jealous ex somewhere threatening you with fraud etc when you are not doing anything wrong.

I ended up calling tax credits myself to tell them I did have a partner and he did stay over anything between 2-4 nights per week and that he was not contributing to me financially which I could prove. They were absolutely fine about that and I asked them to put a note on my records to say that I had informed them.

I say it's always best to cover your back if you think someone may try and get you in trouble and you are innocent.

Babababananana · 15/07/2018 15:50

I would report. I don't care how difficult their situation is - if they are not entitled to the money legally then that's the end of the discussion. Don't care if their mum/gran/brother is ill, if they're depressed or just need a bit of time off or whatever. Their circumstances don't make a bit of difference- if it's an illegal claim, then it's an illegal claim and I would report it

Absolutely agree. I never understand his mentality about benefit fraud on MN and the defence of “you don’t know their circumstances” “they might struggle if they lose their benefits” or “its not millions of pounds”. Well tough shit they should live within their means instead of defrauding the state. What about all the honest people that struggle on their low income but manage because they HAVE to. It’s a crime at the end of the day and if you become aware of it you should report it.

I will say though, I wouldn’t report if I wasn’t 1000000% sure of all the facts.

I admit I have reported someone before. She was claiming to be a single parent, whilst living with her partner who earned a very good wage. Now this wasn’t one of those “only stays over a few times a week” boyfriends, this was a 7 year relationship, they have a child together and they had been doing it since the beginning of their relationship. She’s never worked and still has no desire to now even though her DS is in nursery and has been since he was 2. Which I believe shows it’s not impacted them that much financially because surely you’d get a job if you needed to make up any shortfall due to losing the income. She got given a choice when she was interviewed to either admit it and she would have to make a new claim with her boyfriend or if she denied it, they would throw he book at her, since they had so much evidence against her. She admitted it and that was the end of it, didn’t have to pay a penny back which I think is ridiculous, think how much that would be, 7 years worth of over payments. We no longer speak for unrelated reasons but she still doesn’t know who reported her, she actually believed it to be her ex (father of her other DS) and thought he’d done it out of spite because she tried to claim CM from him. I don’t see it as cowardly not forewarning her or admitting it after the fact, I’m not the one whose done anything wrong.

Bluelady · 15/07/2018 15:53

I'd never do it. The amount of fraudulently claimed benefits is far exceeded both by unclaimed benefits and the cost of investigating them. The benefit system is so draconian now I wish anyone who succeeds in defrauding it lots of luck.

coolncalm · 15/07/2018 16:04

Never ever in a million years. I would hate to be the cause of a family torn apart. The biggest fiddlers are the super rich, they get away with it and for some weird reason it doesn't seem to be frowned on the same.

Chocolatecoffeeaddict · 15/07/2018 16:05

As far as I'm aware , the benefits are not stopped during investigation. Both times I was investigated my payments continued as normal and was told nothing would be stopped unless evidence was found and even then had to be proven guilty.

anchovyomelette · 15/07/2018 16:10

This is why you should never tell anyone your personal financial circumstances...

SweetSummerchild · 15/07/2018 16:13

This is why you should never tell anyone your personal financial circumstances...

^^this

LanguidLobster · 15/07/2018 16:16

No. Not unless it was extreme.

I committed benefit fraud myself once, there was a job I desperately wanted and involved clearance just after I graduated, whilst I was waiting to be cleared I claimed JSA and worked 15 hours per week for a month. At the time it was if it was over 16 hours a week work and then I think you wouldn't get jsa. Or reduced or something.

I wrote it all down on the application forms and the company didn't mind and it all went through. I didn't feel very guilty, sorry.

Though I had to pretend to be hunting for other jobs and act gormless to deter them and I was offered something else but pretended I hadn't been (I really wanted the clearance job and it was brilliant).

Actually looking back I don't know if the job centre would have been leniant with me if I'd stated upfront I was working 15 hours temporarily, waiting for clearance, and didn't want another permanent job.

Babyroobs · 15/07/2018 16:20

Languid - your situation is very different to these people who claim hundreds a month for years on end making out they are single when they're not. The transition for unemployment to working is hard especially if you need to have money up front for work clothes/ travel etc.

Gwenhwyfar · 15/07/2018 16:35

Languid - I don't get where your fraud is. You're allowed to claim JSA while waiting for a job contract to start. You have to be available for temp work in theory, but in practice they know it's unlikely you'll find a job with another employer while waiting for the other job to start.
Which rule did you actually break?

Some of the rules are silly and need to be broken. For example, you could travel from the south of England to the north of Scotland while claiming JSA but not to the continent, which would be closer and where you might also find work.

If you have assets in the form of cash or a house, this can make you ineligible for benefits, but expensive paintings and jewellery to the same value are fine, as long as they were not bought with the intention of divesting yourself of capital.

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 15/07/2018 16:55

innocent people don't panic

Go back 40+ years and tell to the Guildford Four.

PitterPatterOfBigFeet · 15/07/2018 16:58

No but I would in certain situations. I would have to be fairly sure that there as major fraud going on. (For example someone working full-time cash in hand while claiming). If it was a case of someone's partner staying a few nights a week or an occasional cash in hand job then no I wouldn't.

SuitedandBooted · 15/07/2018 17:38

Like most things in life, it depends on the circumstances.

Would I report a struggling single parent working a few cash in hand hours. Certainly not.

Would I report a supposedly poor, unemployed someone subletting their (London) council house as a HMO? Hell yes, and I did.

LakieLady · 15/07/2018 17:46

I’m a welfare rights officer in and work for a local authority. There are no circumstances under which I would report someone. However, if I knew they were incorrectly claiming benefits I would not assist them to do so.

I'm in a similar position. If I work with clients who have "forgotten" to tell DWP that their partner has moved in, I strongly encourage them to notify them and give them a lecture on the myriad ways in which it can come to light, and that they can be prosecuted etc.

I've grassed people up for tax evasion though.