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.

Doesn’t matter, it’s temporary. I’m stressed every day working, making ends meet, not claiming a penny yet having to pay for other people via tax. That’s not temporary sadly.

We've already got a poster who's openly said she doesn't care about that.

I was reported for this type of 'fraud' a few years back.
I lived in a council flat with my two children from my first marriage and started seeing my boyfriend who lived nearby.
He was there most nights but had and paid for his own flat and bills.
I actually called universal credit and checked that this was okay as I had heard of the 'three nights rule' and they said as long as you aren't living together he can stay as much as he wants.

I took not a penny towards his 'keep' on the nights he stayed over bar him bringing in the occasional takeaway.

Yet someone saw fit to report me for benefit fraud and an investigation began.
I was horrified and it made me quite ill.

We decided to move in together there and then rather than face further scrutiny. (My anxiety was through the roof at this point despite the fact I had checked it was okay in the first place)

This may have been a mistake as whilst I love him very much, We are not compatible living together and I would very much like him to get his own place but continue to have a relationship with the man I love, But judging by the opinions of a few people on this thread that would make me morally bankrupt and a benefit cheat.

@Overthebow How do you know the female in your story isn't in a situation like mine? They love each other but aren't compatible to live together?
Hypothetically speaking, If that were the case, would you suggest they do in that situation?
(Not being goady here, Genuinely interested in your opinion)

I’m sure I’ve read this before . Bored OP?

Good grief. If I said what I really want to say I would be deleted, but that comment is unbelievable.

Putting aside the morality of reporting your acquaintance, the answer to is this benefit fraud has to be not enough information to determine. Would the authorities who deal with benefit fraud want to investigate? Quite likely. If they did find that he is contributing financially as if they were in a committed relationship then it would be benefit fraud.

I'm sure it is rife

It is dishonest and I don't agree with this

if we're being honest the point of council housing is to support people so they can eventually buy a home!

that was the point of it, not supposed to be forever home but we sold them off and house are now unaffordable so everyone is curtain twitching and jealous that people are dying each month to make rent.

sad really.

either way, mind your own business.

Mind your own business

Statistically it actually isn't rife.

But if you have a Daily Mail chip on your shoulder about poor people then it probably seems so.

If OP pays tax it is very much her business.

The only option is to demand to see her bank statements so you can see how much money he's giving her. I'd also ask to install a camera in her property so you can judge fully if they are together or not. You should probably ask for a camera in his room at his mum's so too you can monitor how often he's there. Perhaps you could put an app on their phones so you can track their locations?
She'll understand because it's obviously your business and if she has nothing to hide why should she object? You can always threaten to report her if she doesn't go along with it.

It might be gaming the system, but is it any worse than the multi millionaires and big corporates who offshore billions and use every tax loophole to their advantage to avoid paying tax. I cant get worked up about it.

Seesh why dont you spend your time on reporting billions gone missing through covid scam, 40 billion on an app? Hancocks mistress business got 150mil contract, wrongly paid employers whos businesses should have been shut- know a social club that was open but still got paid 75 000, which was shared between board members. I also know people who declare single but have their kids dad with them.

with no amount of reporting you wont see any tax cuts to you, whats the point of reporting?

Is she necessarily poor though

I'm not convinced

It may be (arguably) against the spirit of the rules but it's not something I would concern myself with. It's possible anyway that there is something/anything going on with them that your not privy to. Speculating, but possibly he needs to live at his family home part of the week to care for/assist a family member?

@beAsensible1 I was thinking about this very thing the other day, Obviously not everyone in social housing is on benefits but say you were and wanted to save for a deposit. You can only (only, ha) have £16,000 in savings before benefits are stopped or greatly reduced.

A deposit of £16,000 is not going to buy you a house so people aren't likely to ever be able to move out of social housing and buy a place (barring maybe an inheritance or something)

You're right, It is sad and I can't see there being any solution in the near future.

Are you jealous OP?

@MovinOnUp I'm really sorry that happened to you. What an absolute nightmare. Some people's ignorance, self-righteousness and desire to interfere in others' lives really is quite astounding.

A tenant in an area where I worked, rented a cheap bedsit. His partner lived with their three children in a council house. He had a good job, she claimed benefits (before UC) for herself and their children as a single parent, but also got money from her partner who more or less lived with her. Eventually she decided to go back to work, and stop claiming. He gave up the tenancy of his bedsit and moved back in permanently. He was very honest with me about why they did it. He told me when he gave up his tenancy.

It’s not a new idea, it’s not fraud, but most of us just don’t live like that. It took two wages for us to afford to support our children, it never entered our heads to pretend to separate so we could claim benefits. Some people have a different moral compass. I think you’re probably right about the couple OP, but I’d just leave it.

You cannot get worked up about fraud and tax evasion on an industrial scale netting millions?
why not? Tax evasion actually decreases revenue to the govt, tax that could be used for education,health ,social care
I don’t understand such passive acquiescence

Thank you @countrypunk

I know of a few people who claimed benefits as a single parent but actually lived with their partner who worked FT but didn’t declare it.

It pissed me off as I was an actual single parent but it so was common that I had to just ignore it.

What’s ironic is you actually get much more help if you are a 2 parent family so they are silly to themselves.

🙄 if he's staying over a couple of nights that's legal and fine, what would you actually gain from doing this