To report my ex for benefit fraud?

[Grandadwasthatyou]

He is receiving universal credit despite having had a large amount of money paid into his bank account.
Part of me thinks why should he get away with it and another part just to mind my own business.

From what I gather, universal credit look into any payments, wages etc you receive and work out the next benefit sum on that. If it’s in his bank account they will find out regardless. My friend receives UC and she was questioned over £50 her mum had put into her bank account as a birthday present. They added it to her claim as income.
As he’s being so smug I would let them know out of principle, he’s likely to get a fine for deliberately withholding information too.

I thought the DWP can't actually access your bank account. You have to give them permission or provide statements.

He can't simply put the money in his Mum's account. It's not that simple.
They will see it that he's deliberately depriving himself of the money and it's looked into. They'd be investigating what these debts he owed his mother were and they don't just take someone's word for it that X is owed. They're after proof.
When you report him there'll be no wriggling out of it that's for sure.

DWP can and do access accounts.

@Ishihtzuknot

From what I gather, universal credit look into any payments, wages etc you receive and work out the next benefit sum on that. If it’s in his bank account they will find out regardless. My friend receives UC and she was questioned over £50 her mum had put into her bank account as a birthday present. They added it to her claim as income. As he’s being so smug I would let them know out of principle, he’s likely to get a fine for deliberately withholding information too.

This is wrong. You are allowed to receive gifts from family etc without being penalised.

Normally I would say report, and in fact I probably would if I was you as you say the kids are not his so actually there is no need for any further contact

Even if they didn’t do anything he would still have the hassle of providing information

If you don’t I would just block him and have nothing further to do with him

Even though the dc aren't his they love him dearly and he sees them regularly. Believe you me I wish I could go completely no contact.

Definitely report him. We need every spare penny of UC for all the people losing their jobs.

I wouldn't report because I'd want as little to do with him as possible and reporting him could cause me added drama and conflict.

Hi I can confirm that the DWP don't need your permission to access your bank account.

He sounds spectacularly thick. Why on earth tell someone who doesn't like you about plans to commit benefit fraud

"advised " him that he would need to inform the DWP he has this money. He said they will never find out, inferring that if they did he would know it had been me who had informed. I know this could make life difficult for me where the dc are concerned.

I might not because of this tbh, if he would know it was you..and it could cause issues.

I generally say no on these threads when its 'I know my eighbours exact income and disability status and she has a car I am jealous of and claimed benefits!!!' type of threads as its clear its full of assumptions and that and can cause a lot of issues for genuine people..BUT in this case I be;ieve you may know the exact situation.

But him knowing it was you..would probably hold me back, if its likely to cause problems.

I will say though that It also means less money in the pot for those genuine claimants who are entitled to support. is alwaysb brought up and is just such bollocks. More is lost to error than fraud, and if all fraudsters were caught, they wouldn't suddely give genuine claimants more. Of course fraud is wrong, but the 'less fr genuines' just isn't true and never will be, it should be, but its not. Same as 'people only have to jump through hoops and be told they are cured of terminal illnesses because some people commit fraud' and 'mary down the street gets pip simply for saying she has a bad back, no proof or anything!!!'. Again, it would be great if it did work that way, but the whole point of the assessments are simply to deny genuine people what they are entitled to, not weed out fraudsters, nor check accurately in any way (otherwise inches thick proof from various consultants and specialists would be fine)

But thats besides the point.

He sounds very thick, if what you have said is true about how he plans to get away with it, and he will likely be caught. Also they might already know tbh..a guy I used to work with had a 'secret' savings account and got caught by UC. Nooe could have reported him as noone even knew, so they must have just checked at some stage.

Basically, its up to you but I personally would not if it was possible it could cause problems for me. That might make me selfish, but tbh I care more about my own life/issues than about someone potentially claiming 70 quid a week for a few years before likely getting caught and having to pay it back (and yeah it will be 70 quid, if housing and such are not on, which OP says he lives rent free with his mum, etc)

I would like to say I would do 'whats best for the world' and report a guaranteed fraudster even if it caused me problems. But I wouldn't, unless I knew it would NOT come back on me tbh..

Im sure I read somewhere that the DWP are provided with lists from the banks of people who have suddenly had large sums paid into their accounts and can cross check on their computers if any of these match with people receiving benefits. Don't know how true this is.

This may well be true, and would make a LOT of sense. If they don't already, they really should do this!

If they already do (and now its been mentioned I am sure they mst...) it could also account for how the guy I knew got caught. When noone could possibly have reported him as he said afterwards literally only he knew about the account, not even his partner!

And yeah, you don't need to give permission for them to look at your accounts. That would be a bit..weird..and wuld surely make fraud a lot easier.

A friend of mine was reported years and years back and was called for an interview under caution because of some issues with her bank statements. She never gabe permission, or even knew they were watching her. She was eventually cleared but it was something along the lines of they found it odd that she tok all her money out in cash the day it went in, so there was no paper trail really, besides a few DD payments. Or so she said anyway.

Finally, not 100% sure how UC works in this regard, but you used to be able to get contributions based benefit regardless of savings amount. It was only the income based ones that savings mattered for.

You can also get contributions based benefits even if your partner works, or could back when I got contributions based ESA. As I was apparently nonestop reported because my partner worked..(or so I was tod by friends of the reporter who kept bragging she reported us )

I have no time for people who cheat the system to get away from paying their dues.
Report him.

I remember sure the social will know what he has going into his bank. Not sure if he already had money in his bank and now claiming benefit if they can tell. It’s not fair tho as people are really struggling and thouse who are entitled to that benefit can’t get it. I would report via an ominously. ELse when they do catch him after a while he may face imprisonment.

I would report via an ominously.

While its anon, it appears that the OP might be the only one who knows about this though. So while technically its anonymous..she says he might click on that it is her and cause problems for her.

If it was just about reporting it, of course if sure, its worth doing. But is it, if it could cause issues in her life? Especially when, if hes being as outright stupid as he sounds (and is claiming income based..rather than contributions based) he will be caught sooner or later, and the 'will pretend I owe my mum' or whatever hes claimed will not wash at all!

If the DWP suspect he's commited benefit fraud they apply through a magistrate for access to any bank records.

Im assuming it's over £16 000

More is lost to error than fraud, and if all fraudsters were caught, they wouldn't suddely give genuine claimants more

Of course nobody will get more. What will happen is that if fraud goes unchallenged there will be less money to support genuine claimants in need and the system will fold altogether.

I guarantee if he’s boasted to his ex about this, he will have boasted to others too.

Get him reported

Do the DWP actually do anything if you report someone.
I would have thought they get a lot of false/malicious reports?
I'm asking because I'm thinking of reporting someone, but don't know if it's worth it.

Every penny spent in benefit fraud means that Boris and the boys need to find money elsewhere to bung to their mates, and that will come from the NHS, schools and the disabled.

Doesn't make benefit fraud OK. Far from it. But it's naive to think even if we had zero benefit fraud we'd notice the difference elsewhere, because we wouldn't.

As a taxpayer I say report him.

But it's naive to think even if we had zero benefit fraud we'd notice the difference elsewhere, because we wouldn't

If we had zero benefit fraud it would mean, in this area at least, taxpayers money was going where it needed to go.

Benefit fraud is investigated - you can report anonymously and give some supporting information for them to look into it all. I'd report it without hesitation. Why the hell should somebody get to steal from hard working taxpayers?

I had a grace period of 6 months after proceeds from the sale of my former matrimonial home sold after my divorce - my account had waaaay over £16k in it. It went slightly over 6m in the end but I could prove I was waiting for a completion date for my new home.

Check the rules op. Wait as long as it takes. Then grass him up.