Reporting benefit fraud

[Pandemicfundswhattodo]

Have nc'd for this.

Have you ever reported benefit fraud? Would you report covid-19 financial fraud (getting support when not needed and having to lie to do this)?

Sadly worried about karma as we are always told to "not tell tales" but this family have received thousands in help from the government over the last year and have been claiming UC fraudulently as well.

Before anyone asks ... yes we do know the above are facts. Would you even think twice?

Also there is no need for me to be worried about karma as have never claimed anything fraudulently so that feeling has no need to be there, it is just me feeling guilty!

[GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER]

@Iminaglasscaseofemotion, how can you say that the actual percentage of fraud cases is tiny?
By definition, the only ones that are known to exist are those that have been reported and proved.

[Imnotbent]

Sounds as if it could be benefit fraud and tax evasion / fraud.

The limited pot of money only ever applies to benefit claimants just look at the councillors and MPs who claim expenses, sometimes more for a breakfast than a young person claims for a week on UC. And the fraud in those expenses largely goes unpunished.

The housing expense allowances are obscene while families face eviction due to the benefit cap. We would be horrified if we knew the real amounts that politicians and their contacts have made out of this pandemic, while some benefit claimants have been told they should be grateful for their extra £20 a week.

It’s also true that not all departments have enough staff to invest the time and manpower into investigating fraud. And official error has always cost the department more than fraud.

I see you have decided not to report, I understand it can be infuriating though.

[NeverDropYourMoonCup]

@MiaowMiaow99

What is this, honour amongst thieves?

OP the fraud report line is there for a reason. As long as you're not being malicious, do it.

The majority of fraud reports are malicious. Whatever reason it's supposed to be there for, it's certainly not served it.

[longwayoff]

The fraud line is there because the people who thought it up believe everyone is like them. And many are as, evidenced by this thread.

[Iminaglasscaseofemotion]

@GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER, the percentage is tiny, and I don't think they calculate it with only reported cases. Most reported cases are false anyway. As in people that don't have a clue what they are talking about, and by the sounds of it, that's exactly like the OP.

[Daphnise]

I fail to see how you can presume to be 100% sure.

Maybe you are some kind of benefits official, and therefore know the details of all/any of their claims.

Then report it from the work point of view.

Otherwise mind your own business.

Watch 'A Lady of Letters' by Alan Bennett to see what comes of false reporting......

[Bythemillpond]

I want to know how being on UC and also the government grant scheme is fraud

[LakieLady]

@cookiecreampie

Yes but only if you know this for certain or have strong reason to believe they are doing this because it can cause a lot of stress and worry for the person accused and if they are innocent, it's just someone's malicious intent. I do understand why it's so frustrating, though, I know someone who says her partner doesn't live with her and claims income support as single even though they live together and have 5 kids together. He also claims to not work and gets JSA but works cash in hand and is involved in dodgy stuff and earns more than my husband who works hard full time. This couple are entitled to everything for free, free school meals, free nursery place, various handouts and people who are honest and go out to work are worse off and that isn't right.

She's spinning you a line, @cookiecreampie. No-one can claim income support and JSA, the DWP system does not allow two earnings replacement benefits to be paid to the same person.

[LakieLady]

@Zoecarter

Are you sure we have had a few self employed help from the govt and also entitled to universal credit.

People who are self-employed have the same right to UC as anyone else.

I deliver training to frontline staff in how it all works.

[LakieLady]

@EverythingRuined

I KNOW mistakes happen but someone’s benefits will not be stopped simply because someone reports them for fraud. Implying that this happens is ridiculous. I know a few posters on this thread have had it happen to them but there cases will have been investigated prior to them losing their benefits and their benefits will only have been stopped if there was good reason to suspect fraud. Obviously in these cases the investigations proved there was no fraud but this will be the exception.

I’d always report.

Wrong, I'm afraid. The DWP (and HMRC) stop benefits first, then investigate.

Their primary objective is to reduce overpayments. Allowing benefits to continue in payment while an investigation is carried out would mean that the overpayment, if it turned out that there was one, is larger than it otherwise would have been.

I never fail to be amazed at how much utter shite is talked about when it comes to benefits (I have 14 years experience as a welfare rights officer). It makes me wonder how much other utter shite is taken as gospel by the gullible.

Imagine if health advice given on here was as utterly wrong as some of the benefit advice? MNers would be dropping like flies.

[Hammyhamster92]

OP, many people are entitled to both furlough/ Self-employed support and furlough. As UC cross references with HMRC it is highly unlikely this is a fraudulent claim.

Additionally, many disability benefits ,( e.g. PIP ) , are non means tested and can be claimed alongside furlough.

[LakieLady]

@AlexaRain

I like to my keep to myself so I wouldn't report, I wouldn't want anything to do with what happened next. It could take a really horrible unexpected turn and then in 10 years I'd have to live with knowing I set that in motion.

But you wouldn't have set anything in motion. The person committing benefit fraud would have set, whatever happened next, in motion.

That's if they are committing benefit fraud. Which is far from clear, given that they are self-employed and none of us know what their net income is or their UC allowances. If all income, including the SEISS, is properly reported, there's not a problem.

If they aren't committing fraud, the implications of making such an allegation can be horrendous. I've worked with a client whose children were taken into care because she lost her benefits pending an investigation. And supported another who had her housing benefit stopped for nearly 2 years while the council investigated, ruled against her, and then lost their case at an appeal tribunal.

Thankfully, she was in council property and her housing officer knew it was bollocks, so she wasn't evicted. Had she not had a sensible housing officer, or been in a private rented property, a vulnerable 50+ woman with LD and physical disabilities would have been homeless and on the streets.

[Lovemusic33]

I would stay out of it, I don’t see how you can be 100% sure. It’s pretty hard to commit fraud with UC now, if they are getting paid furlough unless they are getting cash it will be traceable and they will eventually get caught out.

How would it benefit you by telling? It will just make you look very stupid if you are wrong. I would keep your nose out of it and worry about your own life rather than what others are up to.

[LakieLady]

It’s also true that not all departments have enough staff to invest the time and manpower into investigating fraud. And official error has always cost the department more than fraud

I've just come across an overpayment running into a five-figure sum. The DWP stopped paying mortgage interest in with means tested benefits in 2018. Except in this case, they didn't ...

How the hell that happened, I have no fucking idea.

I've also had 2 cases where the child allowance under IS continued to be paid for years after the introduction of child tax credits. In both cases, the claimant had done as they were told and claimed tax credits, so had been getting paid both for several years.

[SteveArnottsCodeine]

No, I wouldn’t. While there’s no consequences for our lying, fraudulently-claiming PM I’d feel uncomfortable creating possible consequences for ordinary citizens.

[tttigress]

I know there has been a lot of fraud with Covid support. Do it.

[Snowallspring]

The stipulation to claim the seiss grants is that your business has been adversely affected by covid. Not that you have stopped working.

[Cheeserton]

Number of people here who think benefit fraud is nobody's business is ridiculous. It's just stealing. It should be reported like any crime where you have strong reason to believe it's happening.

[Bythemillpond]

If you are worried about karma and clearly don’t know how the government grant scheme and UC work then I wouldn’t report anything.
The consequences are devastating if you get reported for fraud and you are innocent.
My friends exh reported her and all her benefits including her disability were stopped for a year before it went to court
When she got to court the case was dismissed in minutes and she got it all her benefits reinstated and backdated for the year.
If it wasn’t for her friends and a few credit cards she would have lost everything. As it was the backdated payment didn’t take into account the credit card interest from the credit cards she used to get by for a year.

[janlevinson]

I'm all for reporting fraud if it is genuine fraud and you are 100% sure. The only way I think this could be the case is if they've actually admitted it to you directly.
But from the info given here it doesn't sound like this is the case.
Seiss and UC can both be legitimately claimed whilst still working.
To be honest from the way you're talking it sounds like you have some sort of vendetta against this person.
If you believe in karma and you make a malicious claim then it's going to come back and bite you on the arse big style.

[Saoirse82]

Mind your own business! Are you checking their bank statements? If you are wrong you could see their claim getting stopped and leave them without, possibly for months.