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.

The absolute entitlement from some posters to dictate how people live their lives is insane!

So without any idea of this couples circumstances people have jumped straight to fraud. So if you claim benefits and you're in a relationship you must live with your partner otherwise you're a fraudster. You have no say on how you live your life because you're a scummy benefit claimer and you should live how I see fit. It is everybody's responsibility to spy on these people, they must know their place.

God I hope the girl hasn't got sky TV or a smart phone because then she's really in trouble.

And to address some previous posters just because I think the OP is a nosey fucker who should keep her nose out doesn't mean I am claiming benefits or playing the system.

Exactly this, people reporting on each other for somethign they have no actual facts of, making people miserable, potentially causeing real harm, curtain twitching, punching down on a few people who may just get a few extra quid (and we are talking a small amount here), yet meanwhile go and buy their coffee from tax dodging coffee places, or buy their shit from amazon, ALL NON TAX PAYERS, but no, lets turn on each other and be little watch outs for the gov... I truly believe that these type of people have no life at all. cannot bear to see people living. It is deffo projection and its entirely sad.

Bang on! I am a high rate tax payer and couldnt give one flying F about what people on benefits do or dont do. I do however feel very strongly about what companies do to avoid paying trillions in tax which is of course is the real issue here, not someone claiming a couple of quid extra. and the whole "oh but people with real issues could use the money" dont be so stupid, that is not how the benefit system works.

This. I also know someone who planned a baby (privately funded fertility treatment), the boyfriend/partner has his own home but stays at hers roughly 2/3 of the time. She constantly complains that he doesn't help with childcare at all, and gives her no money towards the child.

But he can easily afford to contribute as he is running his own home (he owns and so does she). But she won't ask him to pay a penny because he only agreed to the fertility treatment on the understanding that he doesn't pay anything towards the resulting child. She wants to stay in a relationship with him. So she receives UC instead.

Meanwhile my husband and I have had one free NHS round of IVF- which failed. We can't afford private fertility treatment like they could do will likely never have a child of our own, and if we are blessed, we'llbe working hard to provide for them. We can't afford to buy even one home between us as we're being crippled by private rents.

I've never reported her but yeah- i think it's quite understandable why it might be tough to see people playing the system like that. These people are taking away resources from the rest of society, from your own children.

She's a financially abused woman. And you think she and her child shouldn't have an income?

Nobody’s losing anything. The amount of benefit fraud - real fraud, not a situation like this - is dwarfed by the amount of unclaimed benefits.

What is IT with people like YOU
Keep your nose the Hell out .

Why not report those who use TAX EVASION instead
No. Always the easy targets you busybody

Sounds like she’s financially abusing the taxpayer tbh

Totally

A final question? What would you get out of this? What pleasure would it give you to see this new mother be put through hell?

OP if you want to be a one-person vigilante why don't you go after more worthy and proven fraudsters? Channel your nosey-parker energy into calling out the rich and powerful who play the system and get away with it - even though they already have so much and can't possibly need more.

I judge, she’s playing the system and good luck to her.
Compared to the corrupt dodgy dealings during Covid by our so called Government this is small beer.

They are definitely playing the system. My mums neighbour Is doing the same. Like the number of single mothers at my work, working 16 hours a week but getting top ups and everything else. Which is fine. But most have cash in hand jobs making an extra 100 + a week on top of this. Driving new cars, nice holidays, lip fillers. Bitter yes.

EXACTLY. When the rich are no longer able to wriggle through loopholes and outright break the law to avoid tax and hide money, maybe we can worry about everyday people eeking out a few extra quid from the system. Business accountants basically predicate their whole job and usefulness on finding ways for business owners to minimise their tax and pay as little as possible, and get as many grants and benefits as possible. Not always totally legitimately, I might add. They're praised for being savvy. Double standards, and at least benefits claimants put money back in the economy, they don't hoard it.

I wouldn’t judge

I've seen worse cases than this, where nothing came from reporting, so I wouldn't bother personally.
Yes, they could have pretended to spilt up to gain a house and benefits but it sounds like he doesn't live there full term. Most people would stay living together and pretend they don't.
They may have genuinely split at one point, newborns can strain a couple. They could be worse off financially if he were to move in so have stayed together but lived apart. I do know a couple who do so, for this reason

New mother being put through hell 😂 the kids 3, she might be robbing the public purse, and the money she’s taking is tax paid for by people like OP, not the coffers of Jacob Rees Mogg. Where you get this fantasy victim scenario from I will never know.

Are you bored OP? Mind your own business

I actually detect an element of jealousy.

I don't think she shouldn't have anything, that's a ridiculous thing to say. I work with women who are genuinely financially abused- their money controlled and withheld by partners. This is the opposite- yes he's a cock-lodger and he's using her, but by her own admission she used him to get her child.

She isn't claiming UC because she's 'financially abused', she's claiming UC because between them they came to an arrangement that plays the system- an arrangement whereby she got the baby she wanted, and he still keeps the casual arrangement without any additional responsibilities.

It suits them both- but at the expense of the taxpayer. She went in to this fully eyes open.

This!

See this type of thinking, bitterness always makes me laugh, like why not do something with your life then that you can get all the things you seem to covet? How do you truly know what is going on in peoples lives that you can categorically say they are doing this or that? You don't, you just see the surface and make assumptions. In this world we live in you prob have more opportunity than ever do whatever you want, and yet people would rather look over the garden fence and sulk. This is what I mean when I say to people "get a life".

It's their business, not yours. What harm are they doing to you? None
Focus on your own life, not other peoples.

Exactly.

Fair play to them both, they've been incredibly savvy.

Just because there are big businesses and wealthy people avoiding taxes, I'm not sure how that makes it morally ok for two adults to play the system to avoid paying for their own child.

It's still money that could be going to those in genuine need.

Technically they aren’t breaking the law so nothing to report, I don’t understand why it bothers you either? Surely it has no impact on your life how they are choosing to live theirs?

MojoDaysxx · Today 11:51
It's their business, not yours. What harm are they doing to you? None
Focus on your own life, not other peoples.“

If they are commuting financial fraud, it harms everyone who contributes.