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.

All the people on other threads talking about biting the bullet and living with MIL for a time in order to save a deposit, as well as work shifts and get child care from family... How much more tax would you be willing to pay so that they could set up a sham single mum household to enable them to save a deposit?
Although within the letter of the law and possibly open to interpretation (like excessive MP expenses etc) it's not really in the spirit, and the lady sounds like she is exploiting the system not as a safety net but as an easy way to save money as a couple. This leaves less money in the pot for society to help those in genuine need.

Would it be if he's not paying child support? I'm unsure if that affects benefits

Maybe focus on all of it?

@Overthebow
I don't think you're being goady. I believe it was a genuine question. Also I don't think you're out of order either noticing, enquiring, caring or wondering. If you wondered if they were drug dealers or abusing their child would that be non of your business. Its your business because its public (our money). Its OK to ask. I tend to agree that on the face of things they don't seem to be committing benefit fraud and the situation would be no different to her dating someone who wasn't the father. I'm unsure where he stands with child support and I would expect him to officially pay this to her. I'm unsure if this would reduce her UC. You'd have thought so

Fuck this.
Have you been on UC? Do you spend your day worrying about whether someone is going to report you or not.... because you dared to leave the house.

Would report inna heartbeat.

@sleepwouldbenice
Maybe focus on all of it?

We're not, though, are we? As I said in my last paragraph, no one writes headlines about companies using tax avoidance strategies and calling them spongers. The only people we're up in arms about for playing the system is poor people.

But in the OP's scenario the man is the father of the baby. They need to support their own family, not mooch off fellow citizens.

@XenoBitch "Fuck this.
Have you been on UC? Do you spend your day worrying about whether someone is going to report you or not.... because you dared to leave the house."

I have been on benefits before (UC equivalent) No, I've not spend my day worrying someone is going to report me ...for any reason...because I've not done anything 'dodgy'. I've never really worried anyone would think I was doing anything dodgy...I don't get the link.

So what do you propose is done? He be forced to live with the mum?

I'd have more of an issue with someone like you, actually thinking of reporting a friend. You're talking about morals but what sort of person does that? You sound jealous and need to get a life and mind your own business.

Poor people who game the system and produce offspring they can't afford. I haven't noticed anyone criticizing hardworking, ambitious, prudent poor people who understand the value of self discipline (and contraception.)

Maybe those qualities are why they aren't permanently poor & dependent.

I'm starting to believe people getting angry at benefit fraud is what the elite want, the plebs fighting over scraps!!
There's loads of people in the UK who set up limited companies then appoint family as directors . You only pay 20 percent tax on dividends so are getting away with paying much less tax much much more than the average benefit claimant. Many took bounce back loans and used them for deposits on property or fucked off abroad. It's really not the poor who are rinsing the system.

But why should the rest of is support these shiftless people who are in no position to (honorably, anyway) continually produce additional offspring, when they can't even support themselves adequately? It boggles the mind.

Having loads of kids is becoming a thing of the past. There's a 2 child limit for UC and child benefit pays £12 a week for subsequent children. £12 pays for fuckall. The most kids I've seen benefit claimants have is 3.

Two children is two too many if one can't provide decently for them.

Better to focus on ones own education & employment, not one's sex life, till one can be a contributing member of society. THEN procreate.

Birth rate is declining and we have an aging population.

Don't create problems for other people ffs, and unless you have seen some actual proof a fraud exists don't accuse people of it or gossip about it as if it does based on assumptions.

@Fifi0102

There is no global shortage of humans.

And birthing more into shitty, thoughtless, dependent situations is not a societal benefit.

If you read my post and the quote you will see that I am having a laugh with the quotee who has accused all who support the accused of playing the system ourselves.

Well we don't know if they are "mooching "or even together because the Op doesn't know anything about their situation !

Poor people who game the system and produce offspring they can't afford. I haven't noticed anyone criticizing hardworking, ambitious, prudent poor people who understand the value of self discipline (and contraception.)

Maybe those qualities are why they aren't permanently poor & dependent.

Are you talking about Boris Johnson?

I find this argument repugnant and also illustrates my point. Anyone on benefits is lazy, imprudent, not hard working, promiscuous. Poor because of character flaws. Those of us who are hard working and prudent are not poor. It's a way of thinking that demonises the poor and of course is promoted by all the very wealthy lazy, promiscuous and imprudent people in government with actual huge character flaws.

When Rishi puts his money in a tax haven to avoid paying his fair share of tax it's prudent. When someone on benefits does anything to maximise their income, even within the law, it's irresponsible and scrounging.

When Rishi puts his money in a tax haven to avoid paying his fair share of tax it's prudent. When someone on benefits does anything to maximise their income, even within the law, it's irresponsible and scrounging.

Of course it wasn’t, it killed his chances of being PM at the time. There was a lot of talk about it and none of it good. He’s PM now so 🤷🏼‍♀️ maybe it didn’t last long, but nobody went ‘ooooh that’s prudent’.

There is a difference between earned money, and money other people have earned that is taken from them to give to people who haven’t earned it.

Mumsnet posters seems to have a really, really hard time wrapping their head around that.

If somebody has paid £500,000 in tax they’re less likely to get worked up over them ‘hiding’ another 100k than somebody who contributes nothing and whose entire lifestyle is funded by others.

I want there to be a generous benefit system for people who really need it. Those with profound disabilities mainly. Not for people who decide work isn’t for them because they’re depressed or have a bad back and therefore they’re entitled to live off the rest of us 🤷🏼‍♀️

Wish I had done this, stayed in rented place claiming benefits and getting rent paid, while my boyfriend in his well paid job saved for us to have holidays abroad every year. I could have prob had a lovely car as well, while all you mugs out there working and paying tax were paying for my lifestyle choice…