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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Reporting benefit fraud

246 replies

Pandemicfundswhattodo · 12/04/2021 06:59

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!

OP posts:
Crabbypaddy · 12/04/2021 10:20

I would mind my own business...you don’t know other people’s circumstances. You may think you do, but you don’t.

cookiecreampie · 12/04/2021 10:24

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.

Original poster
Pandemicfundswhattodo · 12/04/2021 10:33

@Devlesko

Op, so sure of their conviction, has to name change. How cowardly. Sad
So it is OK to report anonymously on the gov website but not try to stay anonymous on MN? Lol ok.
OP posts:
StoneofDestiny · 12/04/2021 10:39

I would without hesitation. Public money being misused affects us all. If they are doing nothing wrong nothing will be done to them.

Justforphoto · 12/04/2021 10:40

You can legitimately claim seiss, uc and be working it's far more nuanced than that. They may be keeping the money to one side to cover a tax bill that they know they are going to get hit with

StoneofDestiny · 12/04/2021 10:41

Devlesko

Breaking news - everybody on mumsnet uses an assumed identity. Including you.

Heysiriyouknob · 12/04/2021 10:46

@Countrygirl2021

*No. I keep well out of other peoples lives.*

I mean where do you draw the line on this? If you see someone stealing a car do you call the police? What if they steal a handbag or attack someone?

All theft.

I can't believe how many people would report Shock

I keep my nose out of things like THIS. Things I have no knowledge of.

And for good fucking reason - I almost lost my (rented shithole) home because someone reported us for benefit fraud. They over heard me helping someone out with a new housing benefit claim as I claimed it.

Me and my husband were both working him full time, me part time nights around the kids. They assumed we were claiming fraudulently. We weren't. We were entitled to a housing benefit top up when we lived in London. Our combined shitty salaries (ironically working for the LA we lived in) didn't cover the rent.

It was suspended while they investigated. Took them 16 weeks to reinstate it. Lost paperwork, staff off sick etc. We had to get our MP involved in the end.

If it wasn't for begging from family we would have been homeless.

There are massive consequences to slicking your nose in when you have no idea of circumstances.

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 12/04/2021 10:52

Youve never claimed anything up to now. The time could come, though.
No one yourself included are immune from Unemployment.
Reporting them will not make your life any better.

I take it yourself and all posters advising you to report would also report millionaire tax dodging toffs or Is it a different set of rules for the rich.

CallMeCleo · 12/04/2021 11:19

@CateTown

OP - I'm not condoning benefit fraud but the thought of reporting these people is clearly causing you anguish so why put yourself through this? It will be a tiny amount of the UK's welfare budget.
This.

The govt has stolen/wasted/given to their mates BILLIONS of our money and your energy is directed at some "little person" who has stolen 100,000th of that?

EmeraldShamrock · 12/04/2021 11:30

If I reported them they'd know who it was by my face.
My poker face stinks it wouldn't be worth the stress for me.

sst1234 · 12/04/2021 11:37

@seashells11

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

I don't think it works like that. There are set amounts of money for which ever type of benefit you're claiming. It isn't dependent on whether or not someone's committing fraud, the same way it doesn't go up when there's money left over from the vast amount that goes unclaimed.

It does work like that and it’s the annual budget process. Overall spending on welfare has to be balanced within the budget and if one type of spending is going up then welfare will be cut elsewhere.
sst1234 · 12/04/2021 11:42

@Devlesko

Op, so sure of their conviction, has to name change. How cowardly. Sad
Congratulations on the smartest argument put forward on any forum, ever. You won the internet.
Crabbypaddy · 12/04/2021 12:17

Agree with other posters - even if let’s say they are claiming fraudulently, it will be minuscule compared to the likes of Boris Johnson and Matt Hancock giving billions of pounds fraudulently to their pals businesses throughout the pandemic.

Iminaglasscaseofemotion · 12/04/2021 12:19

Well it looks like the OP actually doesn't know the full facts, as they didn't even seem to know you could claim the self employment grant and still be working. Keep poking your nose into other people's business though OP, you're doing a great job.

PatrickBatemann · 12/04/2021 12:20

Would I fuck

Bakeachocolatecake2day · 12/04/2021 12:21

Mumsnet is a weird place for this kind of question, I am 100% convinced what people do and say are very different!

I think virtually everyone who knew of or saw serious benefit fraud would report it.

Anyone who has money laundering training would know they had to report this (so anyone who has worked in a bank, building society or finance) as this kind of fraudulent transaction is an indication of deeper problems and if you fail to report it and could have reasonably known about it you would be prosecuted too.

MistyGreenAndBlue · 12/04/2021 12:41

I think you need to ask yourself, quite seriously, "why do I care?"

Perhaps if you examine your motives, you'll get your answer.

What I or any other poster would do is irrelevant.

ComDummings · 12/04/2021 12:45

Self employed people are allowed to work and claim SEISS

osbertthesyrianhamster · 12/04/2021 12:46

No. I'd never report this.

glitterelf · 12/04/2021 12:48

Those who claim fraudulently often get found out or get themselves so tangled in their own lies often not looking at the bigger picture.
I've quite rightly confirmed fraudulent claims as I'm a childminder and have had parents fraudulently claim for longer hours and when I've been contacted for an hours check the parents are often shocked I've given the correct information!
Or I've had parents request I lie on forms and say their child's doing more hours, what they forget is that if I did that my accounts wouldn't tally and I'd have HMRC looking at me.
In those cases I've 100% known the full information and it's not me that's made an allegation. If you know 100% then only you can decide whether to report or not however as lots of people have pointed out you may not know the full facts.

PatrickBatemann · 12/04/2021 12:50

Those who claim fraudulently often get found out

Is that really true though?

VladmirsPoutine · 12/04/2021 12:50

This is exactly why I always tell people to keep their business as private as possible. People like the OP can be even your close friends & relatives and will absolutely revel in excitement when an opportunity to throw you under the bus arises. Honestly!

SakuraEdenSwan1 · 12/04/2021 12:55

This Government have screwed this country over for Billions of pounds more so no I would not report anyone.

Original poster
Pandemicfundswhattodo · 12/04/2021 12:55

@Iminaglasscaseofemotion

Well it looks like the OP actually doesn't know the full facts, as they didn't even seem to know you could claim the self employment grant and still be working. Keep poking your nose into other people's business though OP, you're doing a great job.
Ummm sorry but where do I say that I didn't know that? I believe no where. So what is the point of your comment?

What I am saying is they have claimed full seiss grant at every stage, they have claimed uc whilst claiming that the seiss is their only income, whilst continuing to work and invoicing for work done through another account .... I will tell you this is their adult dc's account who is at university.
They are also not invoicing for work done and planning on invoicing for this after the 4th grant payment and claiming this as work done then and not now.

They have been doing this since last summer.

I know all this as a fact due to my job. I am not implicated in this is any way, and my job or profession is not at risk if I do or don't report this.

I am not sure why I am being criticicised for the government's ability to throw millions at their cronies. I don't agree with that any more than anyone else with any decency or sense.

I don't understand why some people are so annoyed with me for wanting to do what is in effect the right thing? I said myself in my very first post I was unsure what to do because it isn't something I have ever done or ever considered doing. I wanted advise not criticism! I haven't done anything yet and I haven't done anything wrong but you would have thought differently from some of the replies Grin

OP posts:
OldLang · 12/04/2021 13:14

I'm disabled and on benefits because I can only work a few hours a week. I can have flare ups for weeks at a time and unable to get out of bed. No employer would be ok with a phoncall every so often saying I can't work. If someone saw me on my absolute best day, I can walk a few metres without my walking sticks or crutches. I've also been in the hospital for weeks at a time with stroke symptoms and paralysis (needing catheters etc).
That person who saw me on a good day would report and I'd lose everything for months until it was resolved again. Homelessness etc. People think that's an exaggeration until they've been in that situation themselves.
It took UC 2 years to get me a disability assessment (after a 20 minute call of me reciting my meds and symptoms they decided I should've been entitled the whole time). You've really no idea about the consequences of you getting it wrong.
I'd keep myself out of other people's lives because no one can possibly know 100% of their circumstances.