Would you let the council know that someone was committing disability benefit fraud?

[givemeawobble]

I'm conflicted.

This is a family member, I don't want to give to much away. I've changed username too.

I have no experience of benefits (apart from child benefit)
This person is claiming to be disabled to get their rent paid BUT are subletting their house out to multiple people ... they are making a considerable amount of money.

I won't lie, I don't like this person and it grinds on me that they are so smug and boastful about what they are doing.

Do I just ignore? Or tell someone?

What benefit exactly is he on?

PIP is the new disability benefit but you have to be assessed by an actual assessor for it. You couldn’t “pretend to be disabled” for that.

Housing Benefit will be what your relative is claiming fraudulently, if anything. That is based purely on your income.

The subletting is a matter for his landlord.

you report and they investigate and they’re not committing fraud there’ll be no harm done

You do know that benefits are likely to be stopped while the investigation is carried out? Leaving people without money for basic needs, mounting debt etc and the effect that has on the persons MH.

No harm at all.

Just curious. Why are you so keen to report a family member? What they're doing is wrong, and I could see reporting if it was a stranger, but I'm quite suprised you seem so keen to report a member of your own family. I assume you are still going to chat to this person whilst shopping them anonymously behind their back?

It sounds like its not that they're breaking the law that's your primary motivation, but that you don't like them and resent them and maybe they themselves are not nice. Any moral concerns are secondary. Sorry but it comes across as chiefly motivated by spite to me, which is why you're here asking for opinions to convince and reinforce to yourself that its actually the 'moral' argument and not vindictiveness that's pushing your decision and you're in the right.

And no matter what your motivation you're not wrong ultimately. I guess I don't feel I would shop an actual family member (even if it was a 3rd cousin etc) for something of this nature. A more serious crime yeah. Maybe that's a reflection on me.

Housing benefit is not just based on your income, we got extra housing benefit because we have a disabled child and I'm his carer, I had to prove he gets DLA and I get carers allowance .

Are the people living in the property quiet op? Or just the tenant?

Yes in a heartbeat.

It’s wrong, years and years ago folk used to call the empty property giro drops, tenants were staying with their partners and only used the property to pick up their giros. Subletting and getting the payments is fraud. So many deserving people are homeless.

yes hes subletting and pretending hes living there-it could be dangerous i bet he doesnt care about the fire regs etc

the disability bit is seprate he co9uld have been faking i also know someone who pujts it on but its getting harder to get away with now

If the person is not living there and claiming housing benefit they are probably committing benefit fraud. Is illegal, needs reporting to council I think.

If the house is being illegally sublet to lots of people then this is probably illegal for more than one reason. Overcrowded, not set up properly if enough people to make it an HMO etc. Needs reporting to landlord/council etc. It could be dangerous for the tenants and if e.g. there is a fire the fire service will not be expecting so many people to be there if it is only supposed to be let to one person. They won't just look for the tenant to rescue as there may be visitors staying, but won't be expecting 6 or 8 or more tenants.

If the person is getting a substantial rent from the subletters they might also be conning the tax man as well as the benefits system. And some benefits are taxable so they may owe tax. Needs reporting to the tax man.

If none of these things are happening the house will be looked at, deemed correct and nothing further done. If they are happening then it gives the authorities the chance to do something to rectify the situation.

There could be many things that need reporting I have not mentioned but I would report asap for the safety aspect of things. If it is overcrowded it could be that people have many appliances of their own in a small bedroom. Own tv, fridge freezer, toaster, kettle, microwave, hot plate, DVD player, games console, toaster maker, etc. Most single rooms are not set up electricity wise to provide enough power for all these items and more, therefore overloaded extensions are used and there is a greater risk of fire because of too much electricity being drawn. Also, if there are cooking facilities put into other rooms there is a bigger chance of accidents happening than in a standard kitchen setup so a greater risk of fire. This will affect the tenants (and possibly their families) , the owner and any adjoining neighbours etc.

There are more reasons than just the possible benefit fraud to report it, and as I said earlier, if nothing is wrong then it won't be taken further, if there are problems you could be saving benefit/council departments money and helping safeguard people who might be living in dangerous situations.

The subletting is the misdemeanour. That has nothing to do with disability.

Personally I think live and let live. To be disabled enough to be unable to work and to live with your parent must be pretty miserable. And letting property is a pain in the arse even when you do it legally with the full weight of the law as protection.

I’d report if I thought the subletting was dangerous.

If I was 100% sure fraudulent claiming was happening I would report it and feel no guilt.

I would report. End of

Any benefits are irrelevant. If this is a housing association or council house and he is not living in it then he is breaking the law. There is a huge need for social housing in this country so it should be reported.

Disability benefits aside... that's none of your business.

Subletting will generally be a breach of his council tenancy, so I'd think about reporting for that.

This is difficult, because if you are wrong somehow it will start a horrible and really stressful process, but if you know 100% you are right then you should maybe speak to someone about it.

A neighbour reported me for benefit fraud once - at the time I was single and getting WPTCs but he took photos of every friend who came and went to the house and said they were evidence I had a partner. It as resolved but it was really shit at the time, and I had to spend ages on the phone sorting it out.

Also, if your relative gets PIP he might need it, but not want to admit that to you, so the boasting is like reverse bravado, iyswim? Pip is really hard to get so if he is deemed eligible then I think he is likely eligible. (I work with people who claim PIP so I know.)

Should have said same for DLA though they phased that out in my bit of the UK.

Yes I would.
Family member or not.

No. But please help me to do something about Richard Branson or Costa theft of the tax they owe but pay sweet fuck all.

Of course report!

If there's nothing illegal, then nothing will happen, they have nothing to fear. If your relative isn't even living in that home anyway, there's absolutely no risk for him if everything is done by the book.

I would have reported by now.

100% report, why should this person get away with playing the system.

I personally would be inclined to alert someone to the subletting. Whilst I do agree with the findings that the new PIP system is horrendously unfair to those who do have a right to claim PIP, I also believe that those who purposefully try to abuse the system should be reprimanded for that as it has a detrimental effect on those who do deserve and need it.

I don't really understand the view of "leave this be and go after Richard Branson/other big corporations". What they do is immoral (and should also 100% be addressed by government) but it's a completely separate issue. What your family member is going is both immoral and illegal by the sounds of it.

I suspect you'll have people telling you the polar opposite responses on this thread OP, all you can do is what feels right to you x

Even if they are genuinely disabled, and are sub-letting legally, they are surely supposed to declare this income to the benefits office?

From all I gather, this sort of HMO or multiple subletting is often cash in hand, though, so could be difficult to prove.

In any case, whether it's council property or a private let, I'd have thought that any subletting, unless agreed with the council or landlord, would be strictly against the rules.

Absofuckinglutely

If I couldn't be sure there was enough to prove the benefit fraud then I'd report them for the subletting at least.

Ppl who commit these crimes (and they are crimes) fuck it for those in genuine need. I'd have no sympathy or hesitation

This person is claiming to be disabled to get their rent paid

I don’t understand this. What do you mean?

Being in receipt of PIP only entitles you to PIP, and bloody good luck claiming that if you’re “pretending”. 🙄 PIP isn’t anything to do with rent. Do you mean he’s also receiving Housing Benefit?

I’d be inclined to mind your own until you actually know precisely what he’s in receipt of.

The subletting is a different matter. If you are 100% sure he’s doing that illegally then report it if you want to.