Sister is committing benefit fraud

[Ellabella989]

My sister has 2 kids and is in a relationship with their father who earns around 50k per year. They all live together in privately rented accommodation (in his name) however my sister pretends to still live with the kids at my parent’s house so she can claim benefits.
They have horrendous debts between them because they live totally outwith their means (2 nice cars on finance, holidays on credit cards, eating out multiple times a week etc. The children are very spoilt with toys and clothes too).

I love my sister but I feel total rage at this situation. I know I should just keep my nose out of it but it all just feels so wrong. AIBU to want to anonymously dob her in?!

It sounds like they need an appointment with Christians Against Poverty or Citizens Advice to go through the debt and set up some sort of debt management plan. I imagine their repayments go up every few months and it will get to the stage where it's unmanageable.

I feel sorry for you OP. Benefit fraud is disgusting, but you don't want your nieces to suffer. They will be caught eventually and they could both face a prison sentence.

Will be income support and every 6 months at the Jc as she has a 2 yr old.

Don't forget that work coaches in Job Centres also live in the same locality as their claimants and shop in the same shops and their children go to the same schools. These things are often picked up that way, if they're not picked up through normal official channels.

@meetjoe she has a self employed business which is basically just a hobby and earns her about £100 a month

I think I would probably have a word with her but resolve in my head not to report. If you talk about it and you report, she’ll know it’s you and the fall out would be huge.

Urgh.

Personally I wouldn’t be able to not say something. I’d like to say I’d report, but I don’t know that I would. I wouldn’t be able to keep my mouth shut though and I’d struggle to have a good relationship with someone who thought this behaviour was okay as our morals and basic ethics just wouldn’t be in alignment, relative or not.

She’s stealing from everyone who pays taxes. She’s making it harder for people who need benefits legitimately to get them. She’s selfishly putting her own desire for extra cash she isn’t entitled to above all else. I hope she gets caught. I actually would probably report tbh even if it was my own family as what she’s doing is wrong, inarguably so, and her being a sibling doesn’t change that or mean it doesn’t have to stop.

she is stealing huge amounts of money. why wouldn't you report her?

I doubt someone from the Jc will recognise someone they see every 6 months not to mention the fact its usually a different person every 6 months (I know ive never seen the same one) Even then it wouldnt prove anything some exes get on believe it or not!

Where’s your loyalty? Hmm I can see that it would be difficult to “dob” a family member in but bloody hell it would be hard to sit by and watch them blatantly committing this kind of fraud. She’s taking the piss.

Morally yes you should report her - do it anonymously - benefit cheats make me so cross - there are so many people struggling, why should the state fund the extravagant lifestyle. By posting here, you obviously have a conscious about doing this, but this not morally right the benefits system is to help the low income not '2 nice cars on finance, holidays on credit cards, eating out multiple times a week etc'

Just to add I’m not actually going to dob her in because I wouldn’t want to put them in the position where they then have to pay loads of money back and it impacts the kids lives. It still enrages me though

So your thread is pointless. You said you wanted to anonymously Dob her in, now you said you wouldn't.
So basically, you want to feel superior?
If you seriously think it's so terrible and feel the need to post about it then report her.

Bobbycat 121. I'm an ex Work Coach and worked in a Job Centre for many years.

Seriously EllaBella989. Talk to your sister.

There’s always threads in mumsnet about “friends” committing benefit fraud and the rage it causes and everyone yelling “report them!!”
Why is there no rage at the real cause of society’s problems, the tax breaks given to the rich, the loop holes, the offshore accounts? The ever increasing MP’s salary? The selling off of public assets?
Benefit fraud is not good at all but it is not the biggest problem by a long stretch.

You'd see your sister potentially go to prison for the sake of a bit of jealousy over her lifestyle? What is wrong with you?

I wouldn't like to advise either way, other than if you do report her NEVER tell a soul because it's likely to come back and bite you. What she's doing is wrong, and maybe needs a reality check for her own benefit. I have reported someone in the past for doing something similar. However, this is your sister, and although your identity would be anonymous, if it came to light I imagine there could be all sorts of repercussions within your family.

Personally, I'd probably be reminding her/your parents that if anything happened, they would be questioned, and ask if they would really be prepared to lie. I say this as someone who also once had a knock at the door to ask about a neighbour and their situation I watched the investigators knock on at least a dozen doors of the closest neighbours. It made me very uncomfortable, and I was thankful that I genuinely knew nothing incriminating, as I am a dreadful liar and even if I had wanted to cover for them, my beetroot face would have given the game away.

Those of you who would inform the authorities if your sibling had committed benefit fraud, could you live happily outside the social companionship and support of your whole family for your entire life?

Obviously there are some people who go no-contact with their families because they are inherently toxic but even then it is seems a hugely painful and difficult process - but in otherwise healthy families, it seems a collosal life-changing cost to shine your halo.

She's a thief. I'd report her.

Don't be so bloody ridiculous. Their lives will not be impacted if they can't eat out several times a week or go on fancy holidays. Perhaps they live in an area where the bus and train services are good so a car could go back…

Benefit money is not a never ending pot. People are dying in hospitals because there isn't enough money. People are being killed and burgled as well as going through domestic abuse because there isn't enough money to go round.

I know how annoying this is.

SIL commits benefit fraud by claiming to be unemployed and single. She actually works cash in hand 4 days a week and lives with her OH.

I’m infuriates me, especially when she puts pictures on Facebook of her buying her daughter 30/40 presents at Christmas, and puts photos her designer clothes on Facebook too.

I can’t beleive she hasn’t been caught.

I would love for her to get caught, out of principle but Oh and I wouldn’t be the ones to report her. I just hope karma catches up with her and her OH!

Elfinablender if I were in this predicament I would speak to my family member and let them know I didn’t agree with what they were doing for a start. I think I would tell them that if they didn’t stop it with their benefit fraud they would leave me with no option but to “dob” them in.

It's not the fancy food they'd be missing, it's paying it all back in the best case scenario or criminal proceedings in the worst, the stress on the family, concerns about where the DC live if this comes to fruition, the DM being potentially investigated and the whole family knowing the you were the one to bring it to their door.

I would definitely be vocal about the stupidity of their actions. I would be clear that they will get caught eventually and the fall out won't measure up to fancy meals. And then, for my sins, I'd still keep my mouth shut.

I'd tell. But on here everyone seems to think that benefit fraud isn't a big deal and you should never say anything.

Probably because they are committing it themselves.

Report her. She is stealing money. Anyone who thinks that is OK has zero morals and is incredibly thick.

whole family knowing the you were the one to bring it to their door - er, what? The ones bringing it to their door are the parents.

I wouldn't report but I would be doing everything I could to persuade my parents not to facilitate this and for my sister to stop too. It is really immoral. It sounds like she would like to stop if she is having anxiety, so maybe with some debt counselling they could get on top of the situation? Is she a head in the sand type person?