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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Mum soon will be claiming universal credit while be receiving 150k from sale of house in a month time

109 replies

Jellypinkbean44 · 10/05/2019 14:31

Hi all will keep this short, my mum has put in for universal credits even though she had 20k in savings and told me she will be receiving £350 pounds a month very soon from universal credits. She has recently sold her property, and will be receiving £150k in a month or so after all the deductions etc.She has signed a declaration to say she will report any changes in circumstances, she told me she would keep quiet and take the money.Would I be unreasonable to report her.

OP posts:
Confusedbeetle · 10/05/2019 15:08

I wouldn't report her but I would tell her that what she is doing is wrong, dishonest that she will be caught and taken to court for fraud so she is also being very stupid and you cannot condone what she is doing

IrisAtwood · 10/05/2019 15:09

Although I appreciate that big companies engage in tax avoidance, the behaviour of individuals also has an impact.

Her behaviour means that the DWP have to spend money on identifying and dealing with fraud. It also contributes to the negative stereotyping of people claiming legitimate benefits.

And it wouldn’t be unreasonable to report her if you have a chat and she goes ahead.

Original poster
Jellypinkbean44 · 10/05/2019 15:10

Cafelatte2go have chosen not to, as others had said she will get caught.

OP posts:
Jemima232 · 10/05/2019 15:15

She needs to stop the original claim anyway, as she has already got twenty grand in the bank. The additional hundred and fifty grand is irrelevant until she receives it.

She isn't entitled on her current claim if she has more than sixteen grand in the bank, so this is fraud, and she is not committing it unknowingly, is she?

I would report her. She won't know it's you who has done so. The DWP are very circumspect about letting fraudsters claimants know why they are inviting them in for an interview.

She is risking a definite criminal record for fraud, which will affect her ability to purchase property and/or get a mortgage.

At the level you describe, a conviction will probably result in a prison sentence, too.

Whatisthisfuckery · 10/05/2019 15:16

I got randomly sprung for bank statements before christmas as well. I haven’t got anything I shouldn’t but it’s still nerve racking.

OP your mum will get court, unless she’s hiding the money really really well. Also with the amount you say she’s getting they’re not going to look too kindly on that. I wouldn’t however grass my own mother up but I would tell her that she’s being monumentally naive if she continues. All income based benefit claimants get hounded by DWP so she’s playing a very dangerous game. Some benefits are easier to scam than others if one has a mind to but UC isn’t one of them.

TildaKauskumholm · 10/05/2019 15:18

It's fraud, at the taxpayers' expense. It's despicable and she's a cheat and a thief.

RaffertyFair · 10/05/2019 15:20

There's a significant difference between tax credits and universal credit.

For tax credits, only income is taken into account not savings or capital. Universal credit takes savings etc. into account.

From the following website:
www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/articles/how-do-savings-and-lump-sum-pay-outs-affect-benefits

Some benefits are affected by the amount of money you have in savings, such as cash in a savings account, or investments in shares. These benefits are called means-tested benefits. Find out more about which benefits are affected by savings or a lump sum pay-out, such as redundancy pay or compensation.

Which benefits are affected by savings?
The main means-tested benefits that are affected by both income and savings include:

Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
Housing Benefit
Income Support
Pension Credit
Universal Credit.

How savings affect Tax Credits
If you are getting Working or Child Tax Credits, only taxable income is taken into account, so you might be able to claim tax credits, regardless of the amount of money you have in savings.

However, the interest you earn from savings is classed as income. Any income from savings over £300 will be taken into account and will affect how much you get.

Original poster
Jellypinkbean44 · 10/05/2019 15:26

TheQueef I was going to but not now.

OP posts:
2toddlers · 10/05/2019 15:26

Can’t you go to prison for benefit fraud? Where does she propose she’s going to hide 150k, under her mattress? I think you need to have a serious word with her, does she not realise how serious it is? If it was my mum I wouldn’t report her straight away, but I’d say if you haven’t sorted it by x date I will be doing.

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 10/05/2019 15:28

Wadingthroughshit, how does anyone know exactly how much is lost to benefit fraud? By definition they can only know about cases that have been found out. What about those that are never reported or caught?

IIRC the housing benefit bill alone comes to around £25 billion annually, so God knows what the whole bill amounts to. Even if only 1% of all that is fraud, it's still a hell of a lot of money.

Time4change2018 · 10/05/2019 15:33

I'd report her. Better she gets found out now than months down the line and face a larger overpayment and possible court case. You can do it anonomisly and they most likely start by calling her in for a compliance interview at the job centre and ask her to bring bank statements...
She's foolish if she thinks she'll get away with it

Original poster
Jellypinkbean44 · 10/05/2019 15:35

Thanks again everyone will be speaking to her about it

OP posts:
kaytee87 · 10/05/2019 15:38

Well obviously you can't report your own mother!!

She won't get UC though and might get fined for giving incorrect information if she lies. DVLA can check your bank account.

NorthernRunner · 10/05/2019 15:42

A friend of mine reported her in-laws for this. I really admired her strong morals but always felt I wouldn’t be able to do the same to my mom should the situation arise.
I think you are right in just talking to her instead. Perhaps do some research and show her examples of people who have committed and been charged for benefit fraud. Maybe that will make her think twice.
Ultimately, if you don’t report her, someone else may.

AmeriAnn · 10/05/2019 15:43

They will find out, by looking at her bank statements

Does the government have access to people's bank accounts in the U.K.?

YouSayPotatoesISayVodka · 10/05/2019 15:45

I’m Shock at reporting your own mum! I don’t even like my mum that much and I still wouldn’t do that. In your shoes I’d be pissed off she’s told me she’s doing this because then I’d be worrying she’s going to get caught and be in a heap of trouble for it.

Original poster
Jellypinkbean44 · 10/05/2019 15:46

Genevieva yes she's buying another property she's staying with family atm. She didn't declared that she has just sold a property or what the value was.

OP posts:
Original poster
Jellypinkbean44 · 10/05/2019 15:48

YouSayPotatoesISayVodka I wont be now changed my mind as others had said on here not to report her. I am worried that she could go to prison.

OP posts:
prettybird · 10/05/2019 15:49

A friend was called in to explain a large amount going into her bank account. She was able to explain that it was the proceeds from the sale of their house down south (her dh was disabled) and if the DWP looked, they'd see that all the money disappeared again the following day in order to buy their new house. One of the reasons they'd sold up down south and moved up north was to be mortgage free - especially as it was unlikely that her dh would ever be able to work again and my friend effectively ended up as his carer and unable to work herself.

The DWP were fine with that - but they won't be fine with what the OP's mum is doing Hmm

Jaimemai · 10/05/2019 15:50

Why on earth would you report your own mother? If this was my mother i would sit down with her and make sure she understood what she was doing

Original poster
Jellypinkbean44 · 10/05/2019 15:50

Jemima232 thanks will tell her the consequences of her actions.

OP posts:
Original poster
Jellypinkbean44 · 10/05/2019 15:51

Jaimemai that's what I am going to do if she bothers to answer her phone.

OP posts:
Original poster
Jellypinkbean44 · 10/05/2019 15:52

NorthernRunner yes thanks

OP posts:
Original poster
Jellypinkbean44 · 10/05/2019 15:54

kaytee87 I wont be now

OP posts:
PutyourtoponTrevor · 10/05/2019 15:58

I think you need to say you're not going to report her one more time OP, it doesn't appear that people can read!