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!

@Flowers94

I got reported to tax credits two years ago and they stopped an 890 a month payment (childcare entitlement) for three months whole it was investigated. My son lost his childcare placement and i became severly depressed just because someone decided they '100% knew' i was claiming fraudulently. I was not by the way. Mind your own business, enjoy your own life and keep out of other peoples

This is exactly why I wouldn't report it. That must have been hell Flowers94.

Any benefit fraud steals money from someone who really needs it

No it doesn't.

@Pandemicfundswhattodo

Going to try and answer some of the above questions without being too outing!

Not scared/ concerned about family.
Not furlough and UC....seiss and UC. So yeah it is thousands.

Now waiting for the next seiss payment to be made they have claimed all of them but have been working since end of first lockdown.

Don't want to say too much more as I really don't want to be too outing but it's difficult to do while trying to give you as much info as possible!

We do know 100% but not Facebook or sm based and not seen bank statements. There are other perfectly legitimate ways of knowing something 100% but would be outing to say.

Any impact/stopping of their benefits will not have any impact on their financial status, money they have been earning is sat in a non-linked bank account. Dc are older teens.

It does seem like I know an awful lot about this but this has come from months of things slowly becoming obvious and various other proofs that I can't mention as too outing!

Self emotes people can claim the grants even if they are back it work. The criteria is if corona has had an impact on your income. You can also claim the grants while claiming benefits. I can still claim the grants while I'm on maternity leave. So actually I don't thinkbyou know as much as you seem to think you do.

Would do it, no hesitation. It's fraud.

There isn’t an infinite pot of money assigned to welfare, if some take more than they are entitled, others get less

Not true.

I wouldn't report, it's none of my business.

@sst1234 legal doesn't always equal morally right.

Benefit fraud may be wrong, but legal tax avoidance schemes are much worse..

Yes I would report

No, I'm not jealous of other people, nor am I mean.
How do you know it's fraudulent, you must know this persons exact situation, amount they are receiving and understand the system

@MrMucker

How on earth do you know this level of detail about somebody's finances unless it is family or very close friends? Somebody who is confiding in you?

In which case, wow. How callous. You really are one to avoid.

Wow thank you. My initial op was very much I don't know what to do regarding this as it's not my nature but you must have missed that part in order to slate my character.

And no it's not someone who has confided in me, it's not a friend or a member of my family. Would that make it wrong if it was? It's OK to report a stranger where you maybe can't be sure but not ok to report family who may be claiming 000's?

The fact is, judging by the replies and the comments, this is an emotive subject. Why? Because so many are struggling and would do the same if they had the chance to be able to just live? I wouldn't report that. Because some of you are playing the system to get extra money? None of my business, that is the system and up to the government to sort out. They won't of course as so many of them screw as much money out of the system as they can anyway and it may prevent their rich friends from being able to do the same. Because we are taught from an early age to not tell tales? Do we not remember the sense of unfairness when told that?

I wouldn't even be considering this is this was being done out of financial desperation but it's not. To let on how I know all this would be too outing but I do know this 100% to be true.

I’ve done it as I was 100% sure. The person even told me and as I hated him (ex husband) I decided to go for it. Literally nothing happened. Yet when I was overpaid tax credits by £350 despite telling them and them initially saying I was due it, so I spent it, they hounded me. They were determined to get that money even though I was a skint single mum and had to cut back on food to repay it.

@Eyevorbig0ne

It's up to you. In my job, I calculate entitlement to an allowance. Person claiming covid and single person council tax discount. But the tenancy agreement is joint names 🙄 Just one example...

Someone else has already raised the issue of untidy tenancies. I'm assuming you're aware that FT students are exempt from CT? If a couple live together but one is a FT student they can claim the single person discount, even if they're both on the tenancy agreement. DH and I were both on the council tax bill and still successfully and legitimately claimed the single person discount when I was a student.

[quote Milkshake7489]@sst1234 legal doesn't always equal morally right.

Benefit fraud may be wrong, but legal tax avoidance schemes are much worse..[/quote]
Why are they much worse?

One is legal, the other isn’t. One is keeping your own earned money in a way that the government has decided is perfectly fair and acceptable, the other is stealing public funds, paid for by other people, that you aren’t entitled to.

How can it be morally wrong to keep your own earned money when tax isn’t due on it?

Your perception of right and wrong seems to be a bit off.

My DH is self employed he has claimed some of the grants as the criteria is that you can claim if coronavirus restrictions have had a negative impact on your earnings, not that you havent been able to work at all. DH had no new orders between March and June last year but was still working on previous orders, or starting new projects (that didnt generate any immediate income) This year he has had a decent amount of work and not claimed.

Why are you asking Mnet OP?

Doesn't the benefit cap apply to everyone? I'm still thinking why on earth would OPs friend divulge her bank account and personal details to OP because if friend was committing benefit fraud she would hardly broadcast it so OP could tell the internet

Op, so sure of their conviction, has to name change.
How cowardly.

I wouldn't even be considering this is this was being done out of financial desperation but it's not. To let on how I know all this would be too outing but I do know this 100% to be true.

No, it wouldn't. Perhaps you know because you have accessed information about this family that you shouldn't have.
I struggle to see how you could possibly know this information is a fact.
As I said before, you can claim the grants while working and while claiming uc. So you have no clue.

@Flowers94

I got reported to tax credits two years ago and they stopped an 890 a month payment (childcare entitlement) for three months whole it was investigated. My son lost his childcare placement and i became severly depressed just because someone decided they '100% knew' i was claiming fraudulently. I was not by the way. Mind your own business, enjoy your own life and keep out of other peoples

Exactly. Did you have any clue who reported you and how they knew your stuff? (Just nosy)

It sounds like there might not be any fraud anyway, tbh. If the person has applied for something believing they are eligible but the government guidelines as to whether they are entitled to it or not are a bit unclear, and so they have put the money into a separate account in case they have to pay it back then they sound like they are being cautious financially and not doing anything wrong (and prepared to right the wrong if it the guidelines become clearer later on). This does not sound like benefit fraud to me at all. Even if it is it sounds like it was unintentional.

I would absolutely not report this. I was reported years ago and it nearly ruined my life and had a big impact on my mental health. I hadn't done anything wrong at all, it made me feel awful and I never found out who had reported me. It was vindictive.

I've done it and nothing gets done. Pointless.

OP, it sounds like you have received this information through your work/ volunteering. Is there not a code of conduct/ policy for dealing with criminal disclosures? If not, do you have a mentor/ line manager/ someone you trust that you could confide in and ask for advice? I'm just thinking back to when I had counseling. I was always informed that if I made disclosures of intending to harm that confidentiality would be broken and the matter reported. I'm a teacher and still occasionally ask my former mentor for advice on workplace dilemmas.

I wouldn’t, but most people on mumsnet would.

From the information you've shared and the information available online there is every possibility that they are doing what you say BUT they are not doing anything wrong.

Ok it seems like a slim possibility but it would be enough for me to not say anything.

Also are the SEISS things not grants? This means the money will have to be paid back. Perhaps the person has claimed and banked and fully intends to pay back?

I don't think you have enough information to do anything and even if you did I would suggest it was to HMRC and not the benefit side of things.

Also are the SEISS things not grants? This means the money will have to be paid back. Perhaps the person has claimed and banked and fully intends to pay back?

They are grants, not loans. They don't have to be paid back but do have to be declared on your tax return.