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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Claiming benefits when you're not entitled

76 replies

Aprilcherry04 · 16/09/2019 14:28

Was recently at an event with a fairly close friend and we were discussing benefits etc with a few other mums. One of them was talking about EMA and my friend asked if she could claim it for her son who is in sixth form. I said it depends on your income but would expect as they own a successful business they probably wouldn't be eligible. During the conversation it came out that her family get rather high amount of tax credits and also free school meals. I have to admit I was shocked as they are fairly affluent and own several properties. She says they never take money from the business unless it is cash only or they can charge it as expenses. They lead a fairly extravagant lifestyle go on holiday a lot, drive new cars etc. Sometimes my friend would ask why I don't buy expensive branded clothing for my kids and I would say I cant afford it but it never bothered me as I felt her family deserved a nice lifestyle. Also her husband sometimes mocks people who don't work. I know it is not my business but I feel a little disappointed in her as a person and feel like I didn't know her as well as I thought I did. I think I am being unreasonable but just wanted to vent.

OP posts:
Spingtrolls · 16/09/2019 15:11

And since when could you get free school meals and wtc?

Knitclubchatter · 16/09/2019 15:12

Flirtygirl has it right. Legal tax avoidance schemes.

Mummyoflittledragon · 16/09/2019 15:12

I think a little word with hmrc would be good.

Tensixtysix · 16/09/2019 15:14

Yeah! HMRC would love to hear all about it! Sorry, but scum like this deserve to get dragged into court for being greedy!

Original poster
Aprilcherry04 · 16/09/2019 15:21

Can somebody advise how to change my wanky title?

OP posts:
BiologyIsntBigoted · 16/09/2019 15:23

There was a woman posting here a little while back about paying an amount into a pension which then took her income below the amount to claim tax credits and she was asking for advise on how to do it before universal credit rolled out.

All perfectly legal but I remember the thread had about fifty fifty split of people doing it themselves and saying it's fine and the other half of posters angry because it meant the wealthy were claiming benefits while also building a nice pension pot and it being unethical.

BiologyIsntBigoted · 16/09/2019 15:24

You report yourself to Mumsnet, I've just just reported your last post so they'll see it and change :)

Original poster
Aprilcherry04 · 16/09/2019 15:25

Thanks I'm not much of a poster although I've lurked for some time.

OP posts:
Lvsel · 16/09/2019 15:36

Greed

cantfindname · 16/09/2019 15:38

Legally they may be in the right, Morally, however they are scum as are all the other corrupt people who claim benefits they have no real need of.

When other families are reduced to using Food Banks and living on the streets I really don't know how they sleep at night knowing their next holiday/new car is funded at the expense of those in desperate need.

Stressedout10 · 16/09/2019 16:11

@Thymejuice
Most schools have a system where you pay online or with a card/thumb print which is automatically credited with money/allowance so no one can tell who gets free school meals now

TheHonestTruth100 · 16/09/2019 16:32

I went to university back in the dying days of grants and a lot of the kids I was at school with whose parents owned decent sized lucrative businesses suddenly tootled off to university with a full grant because on paper they had very little.

@isabellerossignol this!

So many students I knew were from very affluent backgrounds with their parents owning massive businesses yet managed to get the full grants.

I remember one of the students going on about how disgusting benefit thieves are too. I know what they're doing is not illegal but definitely immoral. They'd be walking round with their grants plus money their parents had given them and I'd be struggling to afford to eat properly.

Idontwanttotalk · 16/09/2019 16:41

"Properties are in other family members name.

I don't know all the details about how they do it as this is the first I'd heard of them claiming benefits but her dh has told mine that they own 6 rental properties"
If the properties aren't in their names then they don't own them. Sounds like BS. If they have put their properties into someone else's name then they belong to that person. Thye had better trust that person if they intend to recoup money from the income or from their sale at some point.

swingofthings · 16/09/2019 16:49

This was one of the reasons to move to UC to avoid being assets rich and claiming tax credits.

Everyone claiming will be moved in a couple of years, so sadly, that nice little pot of money from the tax payers will be gone for them.

Inliverpool1 · 16/09/2019 17:01

How does having assets affect UC exactly?
Surely that screws over every family trying to move forward with home ownership?

viaLatvia · 16/09/2019 17:02

When they get moved onto Universal Credit I think their rental income counts towards income so they wouldn't get as much or at all.

Inliverpool1 · 16/09/2019 17:05

Rental income counts now with Tax Credits. They will just over pay the mortgage on the rentals do it doesn’t turn a profit

queenMab99 · 16/09/2019 17:09

I am surprised at posters saying this is not illegal, if people are not declaring all their income, and claiming benefits, that is illegal, if they are not claiming benefits but not declaring all their income, that too is illegal because they are not paying their full whack of tax.
I can't believe that intelligent people think this is ok!

Sallycinammonbangsthedruminthe · 16/09/2019 17:22

OP I have family members who fiddle and no words to describe how low they are in my eyes.He the father of family says only idiots work..bog standard statement from him said with pride(my bloods boiling believe me) She has mild learning difficulties so has never ever worked at 30 odd years..2 kids...and they will do anything and everything to get more money,Latest is they are trying to get both kids diagnosed with adhd cos that pays well apparently,These kids are the same as anyone elses kids and have no special needs genuinely they dont ,what they do need is parenting properly ,,now he is trying to get onto dla for a bad back and he is trying to get her on to dla too for whats that thing where you cant go out of the house,,?,They are on holiday with their caravan all the tim
e and its all a crock of shit,,,they are bone idle bastards who think the world owes them a living and aaggghhhh they make me sick,every day is spent working on how to con more money out of the system.Vomit inducing idle scummy lying theiving low life bastards,I am ashamed they are part of our family,They laugh at us my husband working 12 hr nights and me doing my work and juggling school runs etc they think we are stupid ...no we have dignity something they dont seem to understand,I hate them with a passion,

backaftera2yearbreak · 16/09/2019 17:26

Anyone with savings or capital over 16k will not be eligible for universal credit. It was only earnings interest from savings that counted for tax credits.

Passthecherrycoke · 16/09/2019 17:27

What I find really odd is how can you have so much money that’s you’re privileged and comfortable yet still be so desperate for the paltry about the government offer in benefits you’d risk getting caught.

I mean that’s extreme greed right? I just don’t get it.

Passthecherrycoke · 16/09/2019 17:27

*paltry amount

bluebeck · 16/09/2019 17:29

I am surprised at posters saying this is not illegal, if people are not declaring all their income, and claiming benefits, that is illegal, if they are not claiming benefits but not declaring all their income, that too is illegal because they are not paying their full whack of tax.
I can't believe that intelligent people think this is ok!

OP hasn't said anything about them not declaring all their income though has she? The properties aren't theirs if they are in other peoples names so they aren't their assets.

I am not saying it is morally right but I can't see anything illegal is going on here....I know people whose family holidays are "business trips" and all their clothing is "uniform" All their eating out is "business entertainment"....the list goes on.

Original poster
Aprilcherry04 · 16/09/2019 17:33

I think it's the greed that sticks in my throat. Also how proud she was telling us about it and laughing about it. That's the point of this post. It has changed how I view our friendship.

OP posts:
JanMeyer · 16/09/2019 17:35

now he is trying to get onto dla for a bad back and he is trying to get her on to dla too for whats that thing where you cant go out of the house

How can they be trying to claim DLA when adults can't apply for DLA anymore? It's been replaced by PIP now. And FYI, having a child with ADHD doesn't "pay well" either. Nor does a child having such a diagnosis mean they'll get DLA. Besides if they don't have it, they won't get diagnosed with it. It's not nearly as easy to get a diagnosis as people think it is.