Would you report this? Potential benefit fraud

[Overthebow]

I’m struggling with this one, on one hand I think just leave it as everyone is struggling to survive, on the other it just doesn’t sit right with me. And I’d it even benefit fraud? I don’t have much experience with benefits so not sure. I need your thoughts! here’s the situation.

A couple had a baby a few years ago. Almost straight afterwards they split up.she got a housing association property and universal credit, she doesn’t work. He lives at his mums, has a decently paid job and doesn’t claim UC. But ever since they’ve still appeared to kind of be together. He sleeps over a few times a week, they go on days out and holidays together and she talks about them as ‘we’ and ‘us’. She’s also talked about buying a house together in the future as he is able to save a decent amount.

Probably pensioners or people like my husband years ago, who get ill and don't know there are benefits available because they've always worked and paid their way

How come you're so well informed about somebody's financial situation and why is it your business?

Which part of this is your business?

Fuck off with your sanctimonious judgmental attitude - I earn a good salary and I think the OP is a nosey parker!

Hate the "If you are on benefits you aren't entitled to enjoy things".

Ever heard of the expression "If you someone doing X, no you fucking didn't" when it comes to people living in poverty OP?

Imagine wanting to stop the income that helps feed and clothe this womans children cause you want to stick your big fat nose in and cause a drama. Gert a grip.

None of your bloody business.
You have no idea what their actual circumstances are.
I think it's the lowest of the low to go around reporting people like this. You have no idea what their struggles are.

Holy fucking Typos!

"mentality" at the end of the first sentence.

*"If you SAW someone doing X, no you fucking didn't"

*Get a grip

Mumsnet needs an edit function, Jfc.

Only fraudy bit is if she's claiming UC as a couple still.

Is that what u mean

It's playing the system but not fraud. They will be a lot better off than people who live together in this situation.

I hope all you shitty people are reported for benefit fraud (who cares whether falsely or not? It doesn't matter, right?). It would serve you right for being so utterly vile.

Why don’t you grass up the huge corporations that dodge taxes they should be paying on their huge profits

There's very few situations where I'd grass on someone and this isn't one.

They are playing the system. It's unfair and infuriating but there's nothing to report.

people also need to remember most people on benefits are actually working.

They're living in separate households, it's not benefit fraud and you should mind your own fucking business.

People who make false fraud allegations cause no end of misery. People's benefits often get suspended, except for CB and PIP/DLA, and they have fuck all to live on until it's sorted, which can take months.

Some vile busybody made a totally spurious allegation about a client of mine some years ago. She had to live just on her PIP until it was sorted, and would probably have been homeless if her housing officer hadn't believed her. Her housing benefit was stopped, the case had to go to a tribunal, and she was in 15 months' worth of rent arrears before it was reinstated.

The housing benefit officer who'd believed the shit-stirring bastard who reported her wouldn't look me in the eye as we left the tribunal.

Thats interesting i went entitled to website we currently get, i and husband- 700 a month in UC, i put details in there as if i was single in my situation and monthly estimated is 2400. It dosent make sense to be “better off” as a couple they deduct wages from UC claim.so if my husband didnt claim and still got his salary in our case we would be better off as “single”.

hence why so many people claim they are single,i know 2 couples who do that too.

Also - me and my ex are split up, but he sometimes stays over on the living room sofa bed to help out with bedtimes, join family meals and be more of a part of the family even though he lives separately (we are 100% split up and no way could we live together because of his MH issues even if we were a couple).

He has his own house, bills etc. I pay 100% for everything my end.

It is not inconceivable that this couple are doing something similar. Why should the mother not have the support of the father, why should he be banished out of the house and not allowed to stay sometimes and have that quality family time.

People are so judgemental.

Out of curiosity are separated married couples entitled to the same benefits?

They don't live together, it's not benefit fraud

People on benefits are allowed a life and to have relationships.

If they lived together and she was lying pretending she lived alone with their child, to claim as a single person that'd be benefit fraud,

OP you sound very critical of your "friend". She isn't 'taking money from disabled people' to claim as a single parent living alone, when she is one.

Wouldn't report but I would warn them to be careful not to cross the line into fraud inadvertently, nor appear to do so as investigations are shit.

Sorry are shit to go through if you've done nothing wrong.

If they are not living together, they count as 2 separate "benefit households" and each would get benefits in their own right.

Only one of them would be entitled to the benefits for the children, so they would get different amounts of benefits. The money in respect of the children would be paid to whichever one of them gets the child benefit.

@callmeblondee, you among others, have said everything I wanted to say.

OP, insted of looking for crime where there is none, you should look at all the top level tax evasion that is going on.

Neither fraud is right though

Mind your business. My god, I’d hate to have neighbours who watch my every move. The government are fleecing us BIG TIME & you begrudge a normal family getting a few extra pounds, that are probably just about surviving right now with the cost of everything.