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?

I agree that the benefit and the subletting are two different issues.

If someone is receiving DLA or PIP then they will have been assessed as being entitled to that. You can’t fake disability at assessment. Hell I do have a disability and still was turned down because I do manage to look after myself even though it’s bloody tough and very painful.

The subletting isn’t on and isn’t safe either so I would report. If this man is in social housing then he isn’t entitled to sublet. SH is for those who need it, not for people to profit from.

Oh god yes, there are people who actually need a home out there. If he already has somewhere he can stay it should be passed onto someone vulnerable who actually needs it!

It's ridiculous what some people are allowed to get away with in this country.

Nearlythere1 I guess you can’t have it both ways really, you can’t be willing to have the state invited into your life and community by being willing to take benefits and receive other help and support, while keeping it at arms length when you come across evidence that those benefits are being fraudulently claimed and misused.

I think it’s important not to conflate being anti benefit fraud with anti benefit system. I very passionately believe in having a welfare system, I’m proud that our country provides for people in need, it’s an important part of a civilised society, how we treat those who are in need, and it should be there for people who need it. I 100% believe in benefits, and I’m glad they exist. That’s precisely why I think it’s so abhorrent when people commit fraud to receive money they’re not entitled to. It’s not an unlimited amount of money, and when it’s claimed fraudulently that’s less money for others who genuinely need it. We are so fortunate in this country and it’s an absolute pisstake to abuse that system for your own gain.

I’m pro welfare system and I feel that when you become aware of someone cheating if it’s right to report it. Otherwise it makes it harder for everyone else to claim, there’s less to go around, people cheating for benefits give benefit claimants a bad name and give judgmental people even more reason to look down on people who are in receipt of benefits (seeing them as scroungers).

It is all very well saying let the state do the job itself, but they can’t be everywhere all the time and people would complain about even more infringement, more intrusive measures to prevent benefit fraud. It just makes sense there’s a system in place to report fraud and crime given that usually the most likely individual to come across it is your average person on the street rather than it coming to the attention of government officials. There are sixty million people in this country, they’re not ever gonna have those kind of resources!

The phenomenon of "grassing on your neighbours and friends" is a successful divide and conquer strategy of government. It breaks down communities.

the phenomenon of turning a blind eye on fraud, crime, and abuse is a successful way to protect the criminals and fraudster and take things away from those who really need it.

There's no such thing as "the state" as separate entity. The "state" is you and me, and all who vote and work. It's not a "state" vs "us" stand-off!

I understand Bloody. I don’t disagree either. I feel no personal anger or rage towards this guy, most people are out for themselves and doing what they think is best to get by, human nature. I think it’s important though for OP to understand that whether she chooses to or not is okay, it’s understandable not to and her choice but she wouldn’t be doing anything wrong to report at all.

I know a few people who benefit cheat and I want to report them but I don't because they have lots of children and I worry how it will effect them. Single man or woman - Yes report.

Does he rent the house that he sublets or own it?

I would be surprised if this is what it seems. Most people are allowed to have lodgers, which is probably what this family are.

Why would a family who is working accept a dodgy deal, not having a proper contract or not being able to register that they live there? If they're not working they would be getting help with the rent.

I would, without a doubt, for this exact reason:

I’m pro welfare system and I feel that when you become aware of someone cheating if it’s right to report it. Otherwise it makes it harder for everyone else

I get that people are - rightfully - angry that big corporations seem to get away with tax avoidance but I don't think that it stops individuals cheating the welfare system morally excusable. They are both wrong. One I can do something about directly (by reporting) one I can do sonething about indirectly (by not buying Starbucks, or by voting for governments I think are most likely to pursue big businesses for tax).

Crack on with it OP. It's people like that who give the benefits system a bad name and make it that much harder for genuine claimants to get access to the money they need.

their actions make life harder for genuine claimants.

No what makes life harder for people who claim benefits is if we allow an atmosphere where it becomes the norm to report our neighbours like little fucking unpaid government spies.
The subletting is a separate issue. Why are you conflating that with disability benefits? None of you know fuck all about the ins and outs of someone else's life/illness/pain/mental health etc so yeah I think @TheQueef is spot on in her posts especially "setting the poor against each other and gleefully reporting causing investigations and loss of benefit for families."
Life on benefits isn't fun and they don't give out the likes of PIP easily at all. Have some compassion and use your brains, just because somebody doesn't broadcast their health conditions, it doesn't mean they don't exist so mind your own business.

Bold fail..that first line was supposed to be a quote.

I'd report the illegal subletting like a shot. My friend unknowingly ended up in an illegal sublet And, when the heating broke and she asked for it to be fixed, was illegally evicted, lit arrived home to find her stuff in bin bags on the pavement. Council (turned out it was a council flat) gave the official tenant a "written warning".

I had no idea so many people condoned illegal activity. I am magicked at the “turn a blind eye” and the shoot the messenger tactics on Mumsnet.

I realise that all sections of society are on here but would have thought it was only a fifth or tenth that would ignore criminal activity, not over half!

magicked? 😂

Amazed!

I liked magicked better

As mentioned up thread it could well be he is taking in lodger because he has a three bedroom property and bedroom tax to pay which isn't illegal.
Imagine if he is providing night time care for his parent etc the fallout.

I think OP is right to report- this fraud is wrong on so many levels. And reporting any sort of benefit fraud is not being a government spy, it’s being a decent citizen. Contrary to MN myth, it’s not done by a minuscule amount of people and it does have an impact on genuine benefit claimants and taxpayers. I think people like the Queef are probably claiming benefits fraudulently themselves judging by their reactions

I would report, definitely.

Not even Child Benefit Motherof I'm old.

@TheQueef being poor doesn’t make you entitled to benefits. If he fraudulently claiming the benefit then in the long run he is taking money from the people who actually deserve it. Benefits don’t come from a magical money tree, nor is the money pulled from thin air. At some point cuts have to be made and people taking benefits they are not entitled to bring that point closer.

You are right to report OP
This is fraud on major level...especially claiming housing benefit(probably council tax benefit as well) for a property that is being sublet.
It's serious fraud and he's happy to brag about it.
Don't feel guilty about ringing up the Housing Benefit people.
Give them as much info as possible and I hope he gets prosecuted.

I would report. I wouldn’t turn a blind eye to somebody dipping their fingers in the till of a shop so I don’t see why this is any different. It’s theft.

Please use the word ‘allowed’ instead of ‘aloud’ in your email or similar to them though.

Report immediately

I have no issue with reporting tenancy fraud.

Disability fraud however I would be much more reticent about. Getting PIP these days is hard....by the time I completed the form for my son it ran to over 50 pages. Reams of letters and reports about him too.
Most claimants are also seen and assessed on top of that.

My son gets PIP but anyone seeing him might wonder why.

In fact despite looking like any other teen he has significant learning difficulties, can’t plan or manage a journey and needs support still with lots of activities.

He gets enhanced rate for both care and mobility but the reason wouldn’t be obvious unless you spent time with him. So tread carefully with the disability side.

However tenancy fraud is awful and family who need a house are being deprived.

I agree that the issue here isn’t disability benefits fraud- it’s the probable housing fraud that’s so wrong. If he is fraudulently subletting he’s getting money under false pretences, not giving a secure safe home to probably vulnerable people, and denying a home to a family that are entitled to it. That’s 3 morally wrong situations arising from one fraudulent act