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.

It is not a "reward". The mum is claiming the benefits she is entitled to.

Agreed

@XenoBitch no- I think benefits aren't enough for anyone who is single with no dependent children. The person I mentioned and gave as an example who is doing perfectly ok and could work but actively chooses not to has 2 children, both over5 and also gets very significant amounts of child maintanance - which doesn't affect her benefits at all.

In this instance, it is ok because they are not doing anything illegal, unlike the person not declaring their earnings accurately to HMRC.

Was that in East Sussex, approx a year ago?

If not, there are two of them at it!

Because CMS payments can't be relied on, and it gives an unscrupulous man another way to abuse the mother of his children.

My "D"SS halved the amount of maintenance he gives the mother of his child without any warning. She was utterly in the shit, or would have been if I hadn't been in a position to help her out.

This is exactly why men get away with being cocklodgers and why being a cocklodger is so normalised and commonplace now.

They don't have to pay for their children because the taxpayer will. The women allow it because they are greedy as well and like the idea of having free money as well as contributions from their man.

However the man isn't invested. He's not really living there and he feels no legal or moral obligation to feed, house or look after his kids or indeed any loyalty to his DP. He's not really part of the family after all; he just turns up when he wants a shag. He doesn't have to pay for anything much; he gets to spend his money on himself so he's happy. But the first sign of trouble or the minute his head is turned by a sniff of an OW, he's off.

Judging by attitudes on the thread, we have only ourselves to blame, ladies. We tolerated it and encouraged it. We reap what we sow.

Yes exactly that and it gives people license to do as they please and almost infantilises them as they are not earning the money

Vile comment. I hope you never find yourself having to claim benefits.

So do I but I meant in the context of the last post

I understand your situation is different

Of course he didn’t. But that’s plain whataboutery isn’t it?

Not at all. I'm pointing out that it's not poor people on benefits being 'given all the money taken off the taxpayers'. Plenty of examples over the last few years where very rich people have handed billions in public money and the public have not benefited from it.

Extremely well said!!!

I have a male friend who would be classed as a "cocklodger". He is unable to work, and is very disabled. He pays what he can for his non resident kids.
Still, MN assumes any non resident dad is a dead beat.

Absolutely not. He has a genuine reason for inability to work, people like your friend need, and should get adequate help. I hope he has a supportive partner, and/or family, on his own I can imagine its a struggle.

But people must be living in a bubble if they can’t see the difference between your friend, and those who see some dubious claim of ill health as a way not to work.