To ask if you could stay friends with people committing benefit fraud/tax evasion?

[WanderingWildflower]

Out of curiosity. This situation really annoys me but equally they are nice people and it's none of my business.

So these friends of mine are a couple. She owns a house outright that was purchased using inheritance. They both live in it and have done for over a year. He has a mortgage on his own house, bought before they met, and rents it out to a mate.

She doesnt work (small kids) but claims UC, not declaring that her partner actually lives with her. Meanwhile his friend pays him his rent in cash.

So essentially they have fraudulently claimed UC, a full time wage plus untaxed rental income coming in and no housing costs.

I suppose with the cost of living crisis it gets to me a little that we are having to tighten out belts a lot while they live the high life tax free/fraudulently.

I'm not the sort to cut people out but I'm so ethically opposed to people who do this that it sort of makes me question our friendship.

Could you stay friends in this situation?

An entire underclass of people who have no issue with stealing from the state...

YES - THEY ARE CALLED THE TORY PARTY

This, exactly. They pay eye watering amounts of tax, and also spend substantially more, so more vat etc. Also tend to pay for private medical care, private schools, pay more for general services (think cleaners, nannies, etc) and on the whole take a lot less out of the system compared to average earners. I think a lot of the hate aimed at the very wealthy is misguided.

I couldn't give a shit. It's not like they are Amazon

By definition wealthy tax avoiders are paying all the tax they owe. Maybe you meant to post about tax evaders?

Even in that case, I find someone who breaks the law to keep their own money less unpleasant that someone who wants to help themselves to other people money.

Their money is their money, it doesn't belong to everyone else. To the extent they came by it legally, it doesn't matter how much luck was involved in getting it.

I had some nosey so and so grass me up for benefit fraud after I met my now ex DH. Only I was not claiming anything I shouldn't be, I had informed the housing association, the council and tax credits that he had moved in, and everything was as it should be. The investigation found no wrongdoing and left it at that. Be careful about assuming anything about others and their finances. And I'd say it's nothing to do with you, keep out of it. As for how bad it is there is of course the principle that taking what is not legally yours is wrong, but to me there is a world of difference between someone really skint with kids to feed not declaring a few quid cash in hand for delivering papers or something and big companies or very wealthy people not paying their taxes fairly.

Similar situation.
My friends ex moved in with the other woman, who had 4 kids and claimed benefits.

it was reported to the benefits agency, who investigated, found out he was living there and promptly stopped all her benefits.

she threw him out.

He was stupid enough to phone my friend, thinking she would take him back!

do either of them work aswell

once upon a time i used to get really angry at benefit cheats -lately with the cost of living i dont care so much anymore

No I couldn't be friends with them and I'd report them.

You sound like a terrible terrible friend. You can understand feeling a bit jealous but to list someone else's business and personal finances is a disgrace.

You need to dig a little deeper within yourself OP. Some friend you are

@Getoff yes tax avoidance.

Why? Where's the difference? If you claim benefits and scam a little because you can't afford to live because your child's father pays no maintenance due "working cash in hand"....

Or your a tradesman who doesn't declare,, it's all the same thing?

Do you release that if people could afford to contribute and live comfortably legally then the majority would?

Being wealthy is a privilege.

No, that’s really not a sustainable narrative. Most of the people in the top 100 rich list do not come from that sort of wealth, and with how education works in the UK all sorts of people are able to aspire to a professional career.

You can’t support benefit fraud while at the same time calling for people to receive ever more of other people’s money.

She doesn’t sound like a terrible friend at all - she sounds like someone who has a different set of values to her friend.

Because they own a home they don't live in they're not entitled to benefits at all.

Cabinet ministers aren’t generally the wealthiest people. Sunak made a lot of money before he was in government, but the rest earn a lot less than many lawyers, surgeons or bankers.

I couldn't be friends, but that's because I'm a benefit fraud officer so a massive conflict of interest there.

I can't imagine knowing enough about anyone else's finances to be aware if this. If they were the sort of people to openly brag about their finances I probably wouldn't be friends with them anyway.

What a nasty term to describe people.

@FemmeNatal there are a whole lot of grey area which prevent people from attaining their potential.

Separations, illness, abusive upbringing.
Also, some people are not academically capable of a professional career.

The low and semi skilled positions still need filled and they are usually minimum wage.
People are struggling very much on this wage aren't they?

I'm not talking about the top 100 rich list I'm talking about the general population of wealthy people. It's all who you know and inherited money.
Just look at our current government.

Tax evasion & benefit fraud are seen as stuff to mind your own business about on MNs.

Tbh benefit fraud doesn't really bother me when you see what the wealthy get up too!

But they are allowed to though because they pay for their own health care...... as if everyone wouldn't if they could afford to

No, that’s really not a sustainable narrative. Most of the people in the top 100 rich list do not come from that sort of wealth, and with how education works in the UK all sorts of people are able to aspire to a professional career.

lol

This.

I could and would.

But the government aren’t wealthy.

And no, it’s not all who you know. I arrived in the country knowing literally one person (my boyfriend), but am doing well in banking.

My then boyfriend (now husband) came from nothing and is now senior management in an investment bank. None if those who work for him got their jobs through nepotism, or having gone to the right school, it was all through having learned and developed the skills that the business needed.

Views like yours, with invented barriers, will put off good candidates from even trying, which is a real shame.

We’ve got an apprentice in my team at the moment, someone who has come straight in from school. If he passes his apprenticeship (which is very likely) then he’ll be straight in to a six-figure position within a year.

@misssunshine4040 I don’t understand your way of thinking. Cheating is cheating regardless of how you dress it up.

And no, it’s not all who you know. I arrived in the country knowing literally one person (my boyfriend), but am doing well in banking.

Yes but it's not about anecdotes