Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

My friend reported me for benefit fraud....

173 replies

thisismymomentwithu · 25/05/2022 13:03

Me and my friend "Ana" have been friends for 10 years now,a couple of times I've backed away from her as she did some pretty crappy things (accused ex of hitting her to stop his access but told me it was a lie and many other things ) stupidly I always start hanging out with her and ignoring my better judgement.
I work full time but get help with UC since I split with my partner and my wage isn't great.
When my grandma passed I was left £4,500 and I put it away for when I needed anything.
I always got on well with "Ana's" friends and struck up a friendship with a couple of girls due to our kids being the same age and having similar interests.
Ana wasn't happy and we ended up falling out and our friendship was over (her choice )
After a few months my new friends stopped wanting to meet up as usual,I had a feeling it was because of Ana but didn't want to ask them.
In the mean time I received a letter for a compliance interview.
Attending this interview (via phone call ) I was informed someone reported me for having my ex living with me and working a cash in hand job (neither are true ) and they told me they received a Anon tip off and told me the date (the same day Ana blocked me on everything)
It was all sorted out and no action taken as they realised it wasn't true.
Fast forward two months later and speaking via text to one of my new friends and she kept saying
"Well the people who fleece the system will be getting found out soon and in trouble"
"Has your ex moved back in? Thought I seen him leaving home one morning"
Then she said something about my benefit claim that she must have been told by "Ana "
Lightbulb moment ...it was deffo Ana but my other friends knew and believed her.
I've stopped speaking with everyone now but I'm gutted.

Why wasn't she satisfied with falsely reporting me ..why did she also tell our mutual friends I was doing something she knew I wasn't?
I'm so embarrassed
My kids are in these girls classes at school

OP posts:
gamerchick · 25/05/2022 14:44

As tempting as it is, don't put the record straight. It just triggers another round of reports. Let them sit it out and think it's just taking ages.

Pollydonia · 25/05/2022 15:11

My cousin lives in the UK in Social Housing ( HA)
When her youngest went off to University one of her best friends started mentioning the bedroom tax a LOT.
Now my cousin and her husband both work and have never claimed housing benefit. Her friend is married to a wealthy man so has no idea how benefits work, and that bedroom tax relates to how much housing benefit you are paid in relation to the size of the home, so basically if the home is under occupied, it's not an actual tax if you rent a 2 bedroom house and only need 1 bedroom.
Cousin was told by a mutual friend that other friend was telling everyone that would listen that she was trying to report them.
Batshittery at its finest.

CharlotteRose90 · 25/05/2022 15:14

You need better friends . Also if you haven’t already spent it then you need to report your inheritance as it also counts. The DWP don’t normally check unless they have evidence for an interview so be careful. You don’t want it biting you again.

honeyrider · 25/05/2022 15:19

SnottyLottie · 25/05/2022 14:07

I’d shit them up and tell the friend “I was investigated for benefit fraud but they’ve thankfully they’ve now realised it was a malicious report. I hope it wasn’t you who said you thought you saw ex leaving my house, because they’re now investigating the malicious report and there’s going to be a police investigation in to it…”

This is a great message to send but I'd add social welfare will want to speak to the one who claims she saw your ex leaving your house. I'd also add that it worked out well for you as you're entitled to more money.

Justkidding55 · 25/05/2022 15:20

This reply has been deleted

This has been withdrawn at the user's request.

Yes! I would say this lol 😂

ConfusedElephant · 25/05/2022 15:23

OP delete this thread - Ana and Co may see this and report you for the inheritance that you haven't told the agencies about.

IncompleteSenten · 25/05/2022 15:26

ConfusedElephant · 25/05/2022 15:23

OP delete this thread - Ana and Co may see this and report you for the inheritance that you haven't told the agencies about.

I may have missed it but where did the OP say she didn't tell them?

Not that it matters really because you're allowed up to £6,000 in savings before it affects your entitlement and her inheritance was £4,500

lassof · 25/05/2022 15:26

ConfusedElephant · 25/05/2022 15:23

OP delete this thread - Ana and Co may see this and report you for the inheritance that you haven't told the agencies about.

no-one's interested in £4.5k

but maybe delete the thread so they don't see the cool responses you could give before you deliver them

Rosebuud · 25/05/2022 15:29

That is shitty of her but can I ask what made her end fhe friendship? You gloss over it,

SamphirethePogoingStickerist · 25/05/2022 15:30

ConfusedElephant · 25/05/2022 15:23

OP delete this thread - Ana and Co may see this and report you for the inheritance that you haven't told the agencies about.

Don't be daft, That amount is under the threshold. Try not to scare people with fake information.

DontPickTheFlowers · 25/05/2022 15:31

Don't engage with this woman anymore. You could maybe talk to the headteacher about this, just to let them know it’s happened. She actually sounds quite abusive.

You also need to clear your name with everyone else. Maybe via WhatsApp or in person. I wouldn’t include the liar in this though. Greyrock her.

Babylird22 · 25/05/2022 15:32

I'm sorry you're going through this, it's shit and must be so frustrating that your friends believed this person.

People that do this are just jealous and unhappy with their own lives. They'll often have something to hide of their own too. My mum reported our next door neighbour for "fraud" because she was insanely jealous that next door were on benefits (that they were entitled to) and could still afford certain nice things. Little did we know at the time that my mum had fraudulently taken out and maxed a credit card & Very account in my name as soon as I turned 18, the upstanding citizen that she was.

I'd say move on and keep your head held high OP.

StaunchMomma · 25/05/2022 15:40

I don't blame you for stepping away from all of them but you do need to make sure you have your say here before doing so.

Ex-friend has a history of lying, particularly in order to get people she's angry at in trouble. If they don't know what she did to her ex partner, they need to now. You also need to point out the date of the anon report and that the conclusion of the report was that it was untrue.

Don't allow her to attack your character and stay silent, OP. Unfortunately, lots of people enjoy gossip and if you don't shut it down it may well be believed.

Original poster
thisismymomentwithu · 25/05/2022 15:40

I already told UC about it and was told it didn't affect my claim as it's under £6,000
So I'm okay with that.
She's deffo no friend and never has been has she.
What a great year and it's not even June yet !

OP posts:
AntonHeck · 25/05/2022 15:42

I'm not sure why you wrote: my friend "Ana". I'd have phrased it: my "friend" Ana.

With such friends etc...

Vikinga · 25/05/2022 15:43

lassof · 25/05/2022 13:14

Why be embarrassed? How about just telling them 'omg so weird with you saying that about benefit fraud ...I actually got a visit from them ...thank god it was just a malicious call hey, I cried for weeks afterwards, imagine making a false report like that, things are such a struggle for me as a single mum, what kind of evil person would make something like that up etc etc'.
Have a good laugh with it

This

Original poster
thisismymomentwithu · 25/05/2022 15:49

Sorry I used " " as Ana isn't her real name.
Changed names for privacy

OP posts:
Whooshaagh · 25/05/2022 16:13

I’d be saying.
Whoever reported me did me a favour. Apparently I wasn’t claiming enough so I get even more money now.
And then laugh in their face.

Abhannmor · 25/05/2022 16:16

What a horrible person! You can't sink any lower than that. Blocking them all is the only way . You deserve better. Ogdens post made me chuckle. If I behaved like Ana in my old circles, I'd be an ex human , never mind an ex friend.

WibblyWobblyJane · 25/05/2022 16:21

This is a hard lesson.

"Watch how people treat other people and pretty soon they will get around to treating you that way."

She told you she reported her ex for hitting her when he didn't do it. Stay away from people like this.

Femalewoman · 25/05/2022 16:39

Could you say to your new friends that wow someone reported you and no idea why someone would make up awful lies etc etc... will make them think and at the same time show you have done nothing wrong.

Or ignore the lot of them. Avoid Ana - never was a friend.

TurquoiseSwirl · 25/05/2022 16:45

I’d be tempted to send them a group message saying you are aware you were reported for benefit fraud, you were interviewed and they could see the claims were false and malicious and you are sad that despite this you have lost friends as they still believe this. Then re block them and move on and let them get angry with each other.

ConfusedElephant · 25/05/2022 16:50

I'm not scaring people with fake information.
I haven't had to rely on the government for money, I thought it was for people who don't have any money at all.

TimBoothseyes · 25/05/2022 16:57

ConfusedElephant · 25/05/2022 16:50

I'm not scaring people with fake information.
I haven't had to rely on the government for money, I thought it was for people who don't have any money at all.

www.gov.uk/universal-credit/eligibility. Maybe take a read. Even if they work, some are still eligible to UC.

Imnotahippo · 25/05/2022 17:10

I once got reported for having not one,but two men living with me!
one-my dad came round for two minutes,dressed in his bike leathers (he was on his motorbike-he’s not a leather weirdo)
two-he came back round in his normal clothes about an hour later

nosey shit stirring neighbour saw him both times and reported me for
A-having two men living with me
B-running a brothel

daft cow looked stupid when it was pointed out to her that both men where the same man and my dad (and this was a one off-I wasn’t running anything other than my own household)

shed gone round bragging about reporting me-didn’t go anywhere,they came out,I explained and nothing was done about it

she shot herself in the foot there-nobody trusted her with any info after that which killed her as she loved a gossip

id just mention to the local gossip that you where reported but as it wasn’t true the police are looking into it
should shit her up